Bullet Catcher
by GameOn
Summary: A/U It's definitely not love at first sight. Prickly, aloof and strait-laced Kate Beckett isn't what Rick expected when he hires someone to protect a young Alexis. She's all business while he's all about the play. Shallow, irresponsible and a playboy is how Beckett would characterize her latest employer. But sometimes first impressions can turn out to be wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: all the usual disclaimers about how none of this meant as a copyright infringement on the great work that Marlowe and co. are doing. It's just a little distraction that amuses me and hopefully entertains a few readers as well. So this is A/U and in this story Beckett is 25, Castle's 33 and Alexis is 5.  
**

Chapter 1

"Is that all you can do? Thanks for nothing" Rick Castle is fuming as he glares at the beleaguered cop. "This psychopath is threatening my child and you're going to let him get away with it?"

"We're doing everything that we can Mr. Castle. The letters that you've received are being processed by the lab but so far we haven't gotten any clues. There's nothing special about the paper or the printer used. There weren't any fingerprints on it, and the postage marks on them indicate they were sent from New Haven, Atlantic City and Philadelphia, that's a huge geographical area. This guy is smart, he hasn't given us anything that we can work with." Captain Hockings from Special Crimes is very diplomatic, Richard Castle isn't the first anxious parent that he's dealt with. "I'll have a patrol car do some extra sweeps around your home. Get them to keep an eye out for anyone that looks suspicious."

"And what about the rest of time? Am I meant to keep her a prisoner inside the apartment until you catch this guy? That could be weeks, months or never. Alexis is a five year old girl. She wants to play with her friends, go the museum, see the polar bears at the zoo and go swimming at the pools. I can't keep her cooped up inside the whole time."

"I'm sorry but that's as much as I can do," Hockings apologizes sincerely. "So far the letters are creepy but they aren't actually directly threatening. Saying that you have a beautiful daughter isn't illegal. Until I have something more concrete than that I can't authorize a twenty four hour surveillance team." The cop would like to be able to do more but limited resources means that he has to prioritize.

Castle runs his hand through his hair making it stand up every which way. He's angry, tired and growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress. Logically the writer knows that the cops are doing as much as they can but it doesn't seem like it's enough. "I know that this sicko isn't some harmless fan. I can't just sit by and wait for them to make their move. Alexis is the best thing in my life and I'd do anything to make sure that she's safe. Please help me," he pleads.

Hockings sighs. As a cop he doesn't like working with civilians and he wouldn't normally suggest private security but as a parent he can sympathize with what the other man is going through. He scribbles a name onto a scrap of paper and hands it over to the writer. "Safe Hands is the best child security service in New York. They do security for the children of celebrities, diplomats and corporate high flyers. It's pricey but you get what you pay for; round-the-clock protection. I've dealt with them in the past on a few cases, they're very professional."

"Thank you," Castle says gripping the bit of paper like it was a winning lottery ticket.

"Make sure that you ask for Beckett," is Hockings' parting advice as the writer leaves.

* * *

"Daddy, there's someone at the door." Alexis looks up from her drawing. Crayons and markers are scattered across the dining table where she's working on her latest masterpiece. The doorbell rings again but there's still no response from the writer's den.

The redhead shakes her head with a combination of resignation and amusement when there is a deafening silence from her father's study. Maybe Daddy is writing? He can get so caught up in his books that it's almost impossible to get his attention. Alexis can understand it though, it's like when he's reading her Harry Potter and she doesn't want to go to sleep because she's been swept into the world that exists between the pages of a book. It's pretty cool that Daddy is a writer; he gets to create that world for all the people who read his books.

Her pigtails are swinging as she slips down from the chair and runs over to the front door. She has to stretch right up onto her tiptoes but she can just reach the handle. "Hello," Alexis greets the woman standing on the other side with the open friendliness of the very young.

Kate Beckett stares down at the smiling child with some surprise, if this is how casual things are in the Castle household then these people are in desperate need to her help. "Hello, I'm Kate and you must be Alexis."

"I am!" the girl responds with a gap-toothed grin as if Kate has said something very clever indeed. "I'm five," she confides to Beckett, holding up all the fingers on one hand as if to reinforce that fact.

"Gosh you're a big girl then. Can I please speak to your father if he's around?"

"Ok," Alexis turns and runs off towards the study leaving the bemused Beckett standing in the open doorway. "Daddy! Daddy! Kate wants to talk to you."

Castle comes running out of the master bathroom, soap suds in his hair. One hand is fumbling to keep a towel around his hips, it's the only preserving his modesty at the moment. Whilst the other hand is brandishing a shower brush like it's some kind of weapon. The sound of his daughter yelling and an unfamiliar woman's voice has his heart pounding in fear. He pushes Alexis behind him as he confronts that stranger standing at this door.

"Who are you?" he demands, fear making him abrupt and rude.

Beckett raises an eyebrow at the unexpected sight before her. Rick Castle, minor New York celebrity, bestselling crime writer, playboy and gossip page regular is standing there only half covered having obviously been in the middle of a shower.

"That's Kate," a young voice answers before Beckett has a chance to. "She's come to see you Daddy."

Castle turns around and pushes his daughter back even further. "Alexis why don't you go back into the kitchen and finish off your drawing?" He doesn't want to alarm her but he does want to get his daughter as far away as possible if this turns into something nasty.

Alexis looks from her father over to Kate and back again, she's a sensitive child and she can tell that something is wrong. A small frown of worry mars her forehead but she does as she's told.

"Who are you?" Castle asks again as soon as Alexis is out of earshot.

"I'm Kate Beckett from Safe Hands. Your agent set up an appointment for 1 pm. Your doorman sent me straight up so I thought you'd be expecting me," She doesn't offer to shake his hand, it doesn't seem the right thing to do with a man who is only covered in a towel, especially when one of his hands is occupied keeping the towel in place.

"Oh. Yes I was expecting you but you're not what I _expected_." She is so _not_ what he expected. The woman standing in his doorway looks more like a model than a bodyguard. He'd imagined some muscle bound guy with no neck and a suspicious bulge in his jacket from the concealed weapon in his shoulder holster. Instead Beckett has turned out to be a young woman with wavy brown hair that frames smoky green eyes, and a sexy pout of a mouth. Although the suit that she's wearing is professional enough it still can't disguise a figure that wouldn't look out of place in _Sports Illustrated_'s swimsuit edition. Slim, with legs that seem to go on for miles and curves in all the right places. It's a figure that he wouldn't mind seeing in his bed draped in nothing at all. The writer is so surprised that he takes a little too long staring at her before he speaks again. "I thought you'd be …."

"You thought I'd be … what? A guy?" Beckett raises an eyebrow as she waits for him to put his foot in it. This is not the first time that she's had this response. It annoys her that she has to overcome the prejudices about her gender in order to do her job. Some clients, in particular male clients, often have difficulties seeing past the pretty packaging.

"No. No," he shakes his head in denial although that was exactly what he was thinking. "I thought that you'd be … umm … older." It sounds pretty weak even to his own ears, but she has him so turned around that it's the best that he could come up with.

"I see," her words are bland enough but something in the dry tone lets him know that she thinks that he's full of it. "Well, my youth aside, I hope that you're not too disappointed Mr. Castle."

"No of course not." Captain Hockings had recommended both this firm and Beckett in particular so she must be good at her job, even if the outward appearance wasn't what he expected. He's also done some research himself, the word about town was that this company was the best in the field. Obviously he didn't do enough research because he's been totally blindsided by the fact that Beckett is a woman.

Beckett is silent for a minute, looking at him expectantly but when he doesn't move she adds, "In that case, can I come in then?"

"Oh yes of course." He blushes with embarrassment at his gaucheness. Normally he's very good at charming women but something about Kate Beckett has him acting like he's twelve again and tongue-tied around the prettiest girl in school. From the way he's behaved she probably thinks that he's some kind of chauvinistic idiot. "Please have a seat," he gestures to the lounge area. Castle takes a step back, allowing her to slip past him.

"I'm just going to get dressed and then I'll be right back," he excuses himself.

Beckett takes a seat on the leather couch as she waits patiently for her prospective employer to return. She doesn't mind waiting because the time allows her to observe her surroundings and gain some insight into her potential client.

In a city where space is at a premium, the spacious Manhattan loft with its tasteful furnishings screams money but that isn't what Beckett sees as she scans the apartment. Although the front door is metal reinforced and solid enough, it only has a single flimsy lock on it. It would only take her a few minutes with a set of lock-picks to get in. Ideally there should be a deadlock as well, preferably one set at a higher level that a five year old child couldn't reach and open.

Presumably the direction in which the writer disappeared must lead to the master bedroom and she wonders whether or not he has a panic room somewhere in this place. There's an alarm keypad next to the front door, it's difficult to tell how complex the system is. Is it monitored? Could you turn it on for different sectors within the loft? What happened to it if the external power was cut? She jots down all these thoughts onto her notepad, all these details will need to be assessed and dealt with if she decides to take on this job.

"I'm sorry about before," are the first words out of his mouth when Castle rejoins her. He takes a seat in the chair opposite her. "I don't normally greet people at the door only half covered and wielding a shower brush. We had smorelettes for lunch and there was an unexpected whipped cream accident. Either Alexis isn't very good or she's exceptionally devious when it comes to aiming the can, I ended up with cream all over my face and hair rather than in my mouth. I thought that I'd have enough time for a quick shower before you got here," he explains.

Her eyes widen slightly but that's the only sign of her surprise. She has no idea what a smorelette is but a grown man eating whipped cream from a can at lunch time and he allows his five year daughter to do it for him? Beckett feels like she stepped into _Willy Wonka_'s factory, maybe there will be oompa loompas as well to round out the whole crazy situation.

"Maybe we can start again?" she offers.

"That would be great." He holds out his hand, accompanied by a smile that has probably charmed thousands of his female fans. "Hi, I'm Rick Castle."

Her hand slips into his, warm and slim but the grip is firm as they shake. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Castle. I'm Kate Beckett."

"Please call me Rick."

Beckett pastes a professional smile on her face even as she ignores his offer and she doesn't reciprocate in kind. There have been occasions in the past when a few of the men whose children she's been protecting have gotten a little too friendly. She's always made it rule to maintain a professional distance, it makes it easier to do her job if she's not emotionally attached.

He notices her restraint but he doesn't comment on it. Ok, Kate Beckett seems a bit cool and aloof but as long as she's good at her job then he can deal with that. Women love him, young or old he hasn't met a woman that he couldn't charm. It's just a matter of figuring out a way to get around that prickly demeanor.

"So how soon can you start?" he asks her.

"Actually that's not a certainty. This appointment is more of an interview so that I can assess what your requirements are. Safe Hands doesn't take on every job, sometimes what the client needs is beyond our scope of expertise or sometimes it's just not a good fit. In that case I can refer you on to other firms that might be more appropriate."

"So this is like a job interview but in reverse?" Castle blinks in surprise. He hasn't been to a job interview ever; after all he wrote his first bestseller while he was still in college. "I have to impress _you_ before you'll agree to take the job? Well, I can play a mean air guitar and if necessary I've still got my Gene Simmons costume from last Halloween."

He looks at her expectantly, waiting for a smile to crack but Beckett remains poker-faced. "Ummm, ok then. I guess you're not a big _Kiss_ fan." He feels the urge to squirm in his chair under her steady gaze. This woman looks barely old enough to be out of college but she makes him feel like he's back at boarding school and up in front of the headmaster for yet another prank gone wrong. He doesn't like that and it makes him defensive, unfortunately he has a tendency to say stupid things when he's on the back foot. "Is this _interview _just an excuse? A way to avoid saying that you're not up to the job?"

"It's not a case of impressing me Mr. Castle and I am very good at my job," Beckett doesn't take offense, her tone remains calm. "My whole focus is on the safety of the child, there is no room for egos here. If I don't think that I'm the best person to be guarding Alexis then, ethically, it would be wrong to take on the job."

He can't fault the logic in that reasoning so he relaxes back into his seat. "Fine, ask whatever questions you need."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He's sure that some medical examinations are less invasive than the questions that he's had to answer.

_Who else has keys to the loft?_ Only his mother.

_What about his cleaning service or nanny; didn't they have keys as well?_ Oops yeah, the cleaner did, but no nanny.

_Does he have a partner?_ No.

_Does he ever bring home casual partners?_ Never! (Or at least, never when Alexis is at home.)

He'd like to accuse her of being intrusive but he can understand why she asks those questions. "So do I pass muster? Will you take on the job?" he asks her.

Beckett looks up from the notes that she's making. "Yes, I think that Safe Hands can provide what you're looking for."

"So, how will this work?" he asks her.

"The only way to provide round-the-clock security is have someone stay on site, basically live-in bodyguards. When one of us is on shift then that person will stay overnight in your guest bedroom."

"Wait a minute, exactly how many different people are we talking about here?"

"At least two people, more likely three or four if this job stretches out for a long time. At some stage people are bound to go on leave so those vacations will need to be covered for," Beckett explains.

"No, that won't work. Alexis will figure out something is wrong if so many different people were around all the time; she's only five but she's not stupid. I don't want Alexis to know about the threat. I want things to remain as normal as possible for her; she doesn't need to be scared of what might be lurking around the corner."

Beckett makes some amendments to her notes. "In that case our cover story can be that I'm Alexis' new nanny. I'll need three evenings off a week from six p.m. onwards. I can be flexible about which nights those are depending on your schedule. During the time that I'm not here we can station a guard just outside the door, that way Alexis won't need to know. If that arrangement suits you then the company will send over a contract for your lawyer to look over and I can start tomorrow."

"Good, I'll look forward to it."

* * *

His little girl sits on the edge of the counter top, her legs swinging as he carefully teases the snarls out of her hair. The red locks are still damp her from bath and the scent of her bubble bath crystals flavors the air.

"Alexis, do you remember the woman who came to the loft today?" he asks casually.

"Yes Daddy, her name was Kate." The accompanying head nod causes the hairbrush to pull on a tangle a bit too hard prompting a little whine of complaint.

"Sorry pumpkin, you need to keep your head still. I'm not very good with long hair," Castle apologizes before he continues. "That's right her name is Kate. Did you like Kate?"

That earns him a slight shrug of the shoulders although Alexis is very careful to keep her head still this time. "I guess so. But Daddy, you said I had to go so I didn't get to talk to Kate for long," she tells him with a little pout.

"Yes, well you'll get a chance to make up for that very soon. Kate is going to be living with us soon."

The little girl mulls over that statement before she asks tentatively, "Is Kate going to be my new Mommy?"

"No, no. Where did you get that idea from? Kate is going to be your nanny."

"Well Lucy Carsons lives with her Mommy and Daddy and so does Sidney Price. You and me is 'nuf, you always say that Daddy but I thought that if Kate lives with us then she'd be my new Mommy."

He pulls her in for a big hug, it's times like this that he really hates Meredith for what she's doing to their daughter. Alexis may seem mature but she's still a little girl who can't understand why her mother breaks her promise to come to her birthday.

"Honey your Mommy will always be your mommy and she still loves you even if she's living far away. Besides, you and me kiddo, that's enough."

She smiles faintly as the familiar catchphrase as she settles back down by the hand basin. "If it's 'nuf how come I need a nanny then?"

"Alexis, you know how I sometimes have to do stuff for my books or go to things in the evening and your Grams babysits? Well instead of it being your Grams it will be Kate instead."

The little girl doesn't like it though. "I promise I won't open the door like today again. And I'll be real quiet when you have to work. I won't be any trouble, I promise Daddy. Please don't go Daddy." Alexis bats her eyelids at him and pulls out the puppy dog look. She did like Kate but not if it means that Kate will be her nanny. A nanny means less time with Daddy and for a girl with separation issues it is a real fear.

Castle shakes his head at her mistake. "Pumpkin, having a nanny isn't a punishment and I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be right here and having Kate around doesn't mean that I'll be spending any less time with you. We'll still go to the park and feed the ducks; I'll still make you smorelettes and tuck you in to bed at night."

"How come I'm getting a nanny then?"

"It's because I need help because you're getting so big. Soon you'll be taller than me and I won't be able to push you on the swings by myself, it'll be a two person job."

"Really Daddy? I'll be so big?" Alexis' eyes are round in astonishment at the thought.

"Yep, taller than a giraffe. I'll need to stand on a ladder just to talk to you."

The little girl squints at him as she realizes that he's pulling her leg. "Daddy that's not true. Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world; they told us that at the zoo."

"Ok Alexis, maybe you'll only be as tall as a baby giraffe," he gives her a playful pinch on the nose to let her know he's joking. "But the rest of it is true; having Kate here won't change things between us. You're still my favorite child and I want to spend all my time with you."

"I'm your only child," she says with exaggerated patient, a smile on her face as she tells him that for the thousandth time.

"You see, that's why I need help. My memory is already going; it'll be my eyesight next."

Alexis giggles as her father pretends to be an old man leaning heavily on his cane. "Ok Daddy."

"Ok what?"

"Ok, Kate can live here with us."

* * *

"I don't know why you're taking on this job."

Beckett spares a glance at the man still lying on the bed before she forces herself to get up, her hand reaching for the clothing that had been discarded on the back of a chair.

"I'm doing it because that little girl needs protection and her father is paying the company a large sum of money to provide it," she explains as she pulls her shirt back on.

"Her father is a spoiled rich playboy," Will complains.

Beckett just shrugs at the comment. She might agree with her ex-boyfriend but she has a strict policy about not mouthing off about any of her clients, past or present.

"Do you remember my cousin, Hank?" Will asks her. "He works in the Central Park Precinct. He arrested Castle for trying to steal a police horse; the guy was _naked_ at the time."

Stealing a police horse is just the kind of prank that Richard Castle would find funny but the naked part does make her pause in surprise.

"Can't you get one of the other guys to do this job? Please Kate," he coaxes her. "You own half the business so surely you can pick your own assignments. I'll never get to see you if you're living at his place and on the job all the time." Will reaches out and tries to snag her hand, hoping to pull her back into bed, but she steps out of his range.

"Ryan and Matson both have families; they can't take on a live-in job. And Esposito is still out on disability; he's got another couple of months of physical therapy still to go. I'm the only one available at the moment."

"Is taking this job really that important? What about us? I really want to give it another go. Surely our relationship is worth the sacrifice?"

It's funny when he talks about sacrifice it's always her that's giving things up. The problem is that Will has never really respected her job; although he's never said it she feels like he looks down on what she does. He doesn't appreciate the hard work that she's put in setting up this firm and building a top notch reputation. When he moved to Boston he took it for granted that she would follow him because obviously her job was less important than his.

This is exactly why they didn't work out the first time and she had known it even before he took a transfer. But ever since he's moved back to New York Will has been trying to get her to reconsider. She might have moments of weakness where she ends up in bed with him again but Beckett is reluctant to let it go any further than that.

Instead of rehashing the same arguments she makes her excuses, "I've got to go Will. I need to get home and pack a bag."

"Kate, can I see you again? We could go skating at Rockefeller Centre."

It's sneaky how he reminds her of the good times that they shared before the arguing got too bad.

"Ok, I'll let you know when I get a free evening."

* * *

The second time that she knocks on Richard Castle's door is very different from her first experience. The writer opens the door on the very first knock as if he's expecting her and this time he's fully dressed. He's wearing a pale blue button down that compliments the color of his eyes, paired with dark jeans.

No wonder he's so popular with the female half of the population. Although she finds him annoying Beckett has to admit that the man is very easy on the eyes.

Castle has no difficulties acknowledge exactly how attractive the bodyguard is. If anything she looks even sexier today than she did at their first meeting. Jeans with four inch heels and a leather jacket gives her a more casual look than the suit that she was wearing last time. If she wasn't here to ensure Alexis' safety then he'd be very tempted to ask her out on a date; he wonders what it would be like to kiss that mouth or feel her writhing under him.

"Ms. Beckett, welcome. I'll show you your room and I can give you a hand with your luggage. Is there more down in the lobby?" He turns a smile on her that would probably make a weaker woman giddy.

"Thank you Mr. Castle but this is it," she indicates the small hold-all by her feet. "I can manage it on my own."

He's surprised by that, the bag doesn't look big enough to contain a lot of clothes. In his experience women always over-pack; even an overnight trip requires at least five different changes of clothes and four different styles of shoes. His mother, his ex-wife, and then subsequent girlfriends have taught him that. How can that bag contain enough clothes for someone who will be living here for the near future?

"I thought that you understood that you'd be living here. Are you sure that you brought enough clothes?" he asks.

"It's ok Mr. Castle, I've got the essentials," she assures him, "enough for a few days at least. I'll swap my laundry for fresh stuff on my evenings off." It's a bit inconvenient but she prefers it that way. She might be spending most of her nights here but home is still her one bedroom apartment. By keeping only the bare minimum here she can maintain the separation between her personal and professional lives.

"Ok, follow me then," he heads up the stairs to the guest bedroom which is conveniently situated opposite Alexis' room. "By the way, there's no need to be so formal; after all we'll be living in the same house. Please call me Rick. Mr. Castle makes me feel like an old man," Rick says as he tries to make her feel at home. "Can I call you Kate or do you have a nickname that you prefer to go by? You could be Becks like David Beckham or even better, KBecks like JLo," he suggests with a waggle of his eyebrows.

It takes all her self control to not roll her eyes at his childish suggestion. She hasn't answered to a nickname since she was in high school. Even her closest friends know better than to call her anything but Kate Beckett. She can't tell if he's doing this on purpose to irritate her or if his inability to be serious is an inherent character fault. Somehow he manages to rub her up the wrong way constantly.

"Just Beckett is fine," she says brusquely.

"_Beckett_ it is then." The playful way that he draws out the syllables of her name makes it sound like he's mocking her seriousness.

If he wasn't the client she'd be tempted to call him out on it but she hides her annoyance behind a deliberately bland smile instead. Beckett is here to do a job and no amount of flirting or annoying comments on his part will shift her professional demeanor. Other clients have hit on her before, all to no avail. Richard Castle will just have to learn that lesson like all the rest.

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. I have a plan with where I want to take this story (or at least I think I do) but if you have suggestions then I might be tempted to take some little side trips.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Whatcha doing?" blue eyes peek around the half open door.

Beckett looks back over her shoulder to see Alexis standing shyly by the entrance to her bedroom. "I'm checking out the view. If you stand right here you can see the ducks swimming in the pond at the park." She doesn't mention that she's already verified that all the windows have deadbolts, which is the real reason for her inspection, not the million dollar view.

"Can I see?" Alexis ventures further into the room and looks up expectantly.

"Sure," Beckett gestures for the child to come closer. She picks her up so that Alexis can balance in front of her on the windowsill; her arms bracket the little girl so that she won't fall. "Do you see the little specks of black and brown on the water?"

"Yes I see them. Quack! Quack! Ducks go quack, quack."

"That's very good Alexis. Ducks do sound like that don't they?"

"I like ducks," Alexis smiles at the older female. "I like the way they walk, it's funny. Daddy says that duck walking is called waddling. One time Daddy and me did waddling at the park. I waddle behind Daddy like the Mommy and baby ducks do."

"Alexis!" Castle calls out as he comes up the stairs.

"I'm here Daddy."

The writer comes to a halt as he spies his child in Beckett's room. The bodyguard looks surprisingly natural with the young girl in her arms; he could be forgiven for thinking that Beckett might almost be human.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes to the woman. "Alexis, you're meant to be washing your hands for lunch. Beckett is busy unpacking her stuff so why don't we leave her alone?"

"I washed my hands already Daddy. And Kate was showing me the ducks."

"No it's fine. Alexis wasn't bothering me," Beckett insists. "I'm all done." She lets the girl get down.

"In that case then, would you like to join us for lunch? I've made chicken salad on rye."

Beckett is a bit surprised by the invitation. In her previous jobs she's sometimes had meals with her charges or with the house staff but never with her employers. It's never bothered her, in fact she prefers it like that; it keeps the boundaries clear. But of course she should have anticipated that things might be different in the Castle household.

"I don't want to intrude and I wouldn't want you to go to any extra trouble," she demurs.

"No, we'd love for you to join us. Isn't that right?" he looks down at his daughter.

Alexis nods enthusiastically.

"And it's no trouble at all. I try to make most of Alexis' meals and I always make too much food so you'd be doing me a favor."

Alexis has grabbed her hand by now and Beckett allows herself to be dragged downstairs by the redhead.

"Don't worry, these sandwiches are good. I helped Daddy make them so there's nothing funny in them."

"Did you keep a close eye on him then?" Beckett looks amused at the role reversal between parent and child.

"Daddy's pretty good but some of his cooking is ..." Alexis pauses to think of the appropriate word, "interesting. Sometimes he puts in chocolate when I'm not looking."

"Hey now, I still think that chocolate and marshmallows in an omelette would work well," Castle protests. "I don't understand why you wouldn't eat it. All five year olds are meant to love chocolate."

"Not with cheese Daddy," Alexis lets out an exaggerated sigh like some long suffering child. "Kate, don't ever let him feed you the s'morelettes." She gives a shudder of revulsion.

"Shot down by my own child," Castle clasps both hands over his heart as if he's been hurt. "I'll remember this betrayal. The next time you want to go to see the latest Indiana Jones movie you'll be going on your own."

Alexis giggles at the threat. "That's your movie Daddy, not mine."

Castle raises an eyebrow, pretending to be confused. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes Daddy. I like Harry Potter the best and I'm too small to watch Indiana Jones. We have to wait until I'm thirteen."

The writer can't conceal the tender amusement that he feels listening to his daughter. He has no idea where Alexis gets it from but his five year old is a stickler for the rules and she's mature beyond her years.

"In that case then I had better feed you up or I'll never have anyone to go to the movies with." He lays out the sandwiches on three plates before opening the fridge to survey the options. "Do you guys want apple juice, water or milk?"

"Milk please, Daddy."

"Water would be great," Beckett helps the young girl clamber up onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar before taking a seat herself. This is a side of Richard Castle that she would never have imagined. Just when she was ready to write him off as some jackass playboy, the writer has managed to surprise her with this other side of him, the devoted father.

Castle pours out their beverages before taking the stool on the other side of the child. "After lunch Alexis usually has a couple of hours of quiet play in her room while I write and then I thought that we might head out to the playground."

"Can I go on the big slide, please Daddy?" Alexis asks around a large bite of bread.

"Yes, but you have to wait for me to get ready at the bottom just in case I need to catch you."

The redhead beams at the promised outing, spending time with her father is something that she never gets tired of.

"Do you guys go to the same playground a lot?" Beckett asks.

"Yeah, if it's not raining then we go the one on Harrison St most days. Alexis is finally tall enough to be allowed on the big slide and she loves it."

"So you guys are regulars there then?"

"Yeah I guess you could say that. Alexis has made friends with some of the other kids and I've made _friends_ with some of their Moms." The twinkle in his eye suggests that some of those friendships weren't strictly platonic.

Alexis happily munches on her sandwich completely unaware of the innuendo but Beckett has to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the comment.

What a jerk, did he really think that she'd find that remark charming or funny? Or is she meant to be impressed by what a stud he is? She takes back what she was thinking before; Richard Castle is definitely a jackass playboy.

"How about we try the playground over on Fielding Lane? It might be nice to mix it up a bit," she suggests with a deliberate stare at Castle. "Anything that's a routine makes it too ... predictable."

"Oh, right," he nods his comprehension of her underlying message; routines make it more dangerous if someone is stalking Alexis.

"But I want to go on the slides Daddy," the girl protests.

"There are slides at this playground," Beckett promises her.

Alexis still looks skeptical though.

"There's also a great mini-train track. There's a Thomas the Tank Engine that you can sit in and I'll push you around the track," she adds.

"Does he toot? I like Thomas but Percy is cool as well," Alexis is won over by the promise of trains.

"No tooting sorry. But maybe we can get your Dad to be Sir Topham Hatt." Beckett says it with a straight face but there's a little barb in it aimed at the writer. She'd rather cast him as the fussy boss as opposed to some Casanova.

* * *

Alexis is worn out by the time they come back to the loft from their outing. After running around for two hours she was ready to keel over so they took a car service back from the park. She was like a little windup toy that had run out of puff, the bright red hair resting on Castle's chest as he carries her through the lobby of their building.

"That was fun. I like this playground best. Can we go there again tomorrow?" she asks.

"We can go there again but maybe not tomorrow. Beckett might know some other great playgrounds that we haven't been to." He brushes back an errant lock that has fallen over Alexis' face.

"Kate, do you know other places we can go?" the little girl asks.

"Sure Alexis, I can think of a few other playgrounds that you might like."

"Can we go now?" she perks up at the thought of new places to explore.

"No little Miss Sleepyhead. You were practically ready to fall asleep about a minute ago. I think we might save these new playgrounds for when you have the energy to enjoy them."

"No I'm not tired Daddy," Alexis says even as she tries to stifle a yawn.

"Even if you're not tired, I am. Your old dad was the one who had to do all the hard work. _Push me higher Daddy, I want to swing higher_," he puts on a false high voice. "_Run Daddy. Trains have to go fast_." He pinches her nose playfully. "I need to rest after all that hard work and you need to get clean before dinner. You can play in the bath for a bit if you like."

"Can I have my Hogwarts' bubble-bath?" Alexis bargains with her father as the three of them exit the elevator.

Beckett doesn't hear the rest of the conversation because she's already walking ahead to open the front door. She automatically checks the locks for any signs of tampering before she slips the key in and enters the loft. Punching in the code to deactivate the alarm takes only a few seconds and she waits for the others to catch up and enter before closing the door and relocking it.

She's already explained to her employer the drill so Castle waits patiently in the lounge as she clears all the rooms. Once she's happy that the loft is secure she returns to join the pair who are still happily chatting away. If the girl is surprised by the woman's actions she doesn't question it, maybe in her young mind this procedure is part of what a nanny does.

Beckett gives him a nod to signal the all-clear and Castle starts up the stairs to the bathroom.

"Let's get those bubbles going so you can have a good long soak while I make us some dinner. How do you feel about lasagna?" he asks his daughter.

"Yes please Daddy," Alexis replies before she directs her next words to Kate. "Will you play with me while Daddy makes dinner? I'll even let you play with Nemo, I can be Dory."

"Sure Alexis, I'd love to. Just let me put my jacket away first," Kate lies to excuse herself. What she really wants to do is secure her gun away into the safe in Castle's study.

* * *

Even though her bathroom is upstairs he can hear Alexis' laughter all the way from the kitchen. It sounds like she's having a lot of fun with the bodyguard. Rick lays the table and checks on the pasta bubbling away in the oven. The cheese is all lovely and golden brown and the aroma wafting through the room is mouthwatering.

He tidies up the dishes and cooking implements that he's used to prepare the meal, rinsing them off before stacking them in the dishwasher. One last wipe of his hands on the tea towel to dry them off and then he goes up to fish his daughter out of the bathtub. By the time she's dried off, dressed and had her hair brushed the lasagna should just about be ready.

The first thing that he sees is Beckett's back as she leans over the side of the bathtub.

"_Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim_," she sings in a pretty good imitation of Dory.

Alexis must agree with him because the girl claps her appreciation sending a spray of water onto the woman. Beckett jerks back suddenly with a laugh at the unexpected faceful of soapy water.

Castle can't help the chuckle that escapes him at the sight in front of him but Alexis looks appalled at the accidental soaking.

"Sorry Kate. I didn't mean to get you."

"That's ok Alexis. I know it was an accident and besides it's just water. It'll dry soon enough." She stands up and turns around to grab one of the towels on the shelf and that's when Castle's mouth goes dry.

The entire front of her light colored shirt is wet and totally transparent. If he thought that she looked like a swimsuit model before then she must look his wet dream now. He shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts about Beckett, especially not with his daughter in the same room but his body is imagining all kinds of scenarios where he could strip the wet material off her.

It takes him a second too long to avert his eyes and Beckett has no trouble deciphering exactly what is going through his mind. She'd normally be pissed off if some guy was eyeing her up like playboy centerfold but instead she finds herself flustered by the fact that his attention isn't completely unwanted. Her body tingles under his perusal and a faint blush threatens her cheeks; she prays that he hasn't noticed her reaction. It's embarrassing enough to admit to herself that she's attracted to the writer, it would absolutely mortifying if he knew it as well.

Alexis is the one who finally breaks the awful silence. "Can I play for a bit longer please Daddy?" the child is completely unaware of the tension between the two adults.

"No it's time for dinner; you've already had twenty minutes in the bath. If you're in there for much longer your toes will turn into little raisins." Castle diverts his attention to his daughter, thankful for her timely interruption.

Beckett makes her escape at the same time, leaving father and daughter behind. She doesn't know what just happened there; staying professionally detached has never been a problem for her. Whatever it was, she vows that it won't happen again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Would you like a glass of wine?" he holds up the bottle that's just been opened. "It's a very nice Californian Pinot noir."

Alexis is in bed and it's just the two adults left around the dining table. Beckett had considered calling it a night as well but it's only eight pm; that's far too early to use tiredness as an excuse.

"No, technically I'm still working," she demurs.

"I'm sure that the boss won't mind. We're spending the night in, so unless some stalker breaks into the loft then Alexis will be perfectly safe in her bedroom. Besides, I'm going to have a glass and you wouldn't leave me to drink by myself would you?" Rick holds out the other glass to her.

"Thank you," she accepts it, careful not to let their fingers brush. She swirls it in the glass and pauses to savor the aroma; a combination of black cherries and raspberries with a hint of wood-smoke. The first sip is refreshingly fruity and well balanced by a zing of spice and herbs. Beckett's unaware of the sound she makes as she savours the taste; it's a cross between a hum and a moan. "It's very good."

Castle is glad that the dining table is a barrier between them because his pants are suddenly feeling a bit tight. The way she closed her eyes and that sound that she made brings images to mind of dark cotton sheets and filtered moonlight shimmering over creamy flesh.

"I came across it when I visited the vineyard in Sonoma County. I was dating a British supermodel at the time and she was doing a photo-shoot there. Unfortunately the relationship didn't outlast the trip but at least I found a decent drop to help console me for the loss."

Beckett mentally rolls her eyes at the story. Of course he'd date a supermodel; rich, famous men would always have their pick of beautiful women. He's shallow enough that a woman's appearance would be the only criteria that would influence his dating habits.

"I'm sorry for your loss Mr. Castle."

She says it in such a dead-pan tone that he can't tell if she's being sarcastic or serious. As a writer he's usually very good at reading people but Kate Beckett is an enigma; maybe that's why he's so intrigued by her.

"Please, no more _Mr. Castle. _If you don't want to use Rick then could you at least drop the mister? Just Castle would be fine."

"Ok … Castle."

He smiles at the concession that he's managed to wring from her. It's not much as far as victories go but every dent that he makes in the Beckett armor feels like a major blow.

"So tell me Beckett, if you weren't here then what would you be doing on a Tuesday night?"

"I'd be practicing at the shooting range or else sparring at the dojo," she says with a shrug. "The instructor is an ex-Ranger. There's not really a name for the style of mixed martial arts that he teaches but the focus is predominantly on unarmed combat, using leverage and speed and not strength. Training is very important in this job."

"As your employer, I appreciate your commitment to work, but I've got to say that sounds very _booooring_. Surely you must have some hobbies? What does Kate Beckett like to do when she lets her hair down? Let me guess. A night on the town with the girls? A bit of cosplay as your favorite anime character? Modifying your Corvette for street racing? Or recreational pole dancing?" he suggests with a fake leer and an exaggerated widening of the eyes.

"Actually you're pretty close with your guess there," her smile is enigmatic as she leans back and takes another sip of the wine. He might think that he has her all figured out but there are so many layers to the Beckett onion.

His jaw almost drops at her reply. "If you tell me that it's pole dancing then I'll give you a case of this wine."

"Men! You are all so predictable," Beckett laughs and this time she does roll her eyes. "Do you really think that I do pole dancing in my spare time?"

"Well, no. But it's a nice fantasy and you can't blame a man for hoping," he adds with a grin. "So which guess was the close one?"

"I do a bit of racing in my spare time. It's on a race track, not on the street and I own a Harley Davidson softail."

"For real? You're not yanking my chain here, are you Beckett?"

"A V2, four-stroke engine with five-speed belt transmission, 63 break horsepower and a top speed of 118 mph. Is that serious enough for you Castle?"

"I didn't understand half of what you said but there is something very sexy about a woman who can talk like a petrol-head."

He's not the first man to tell her that she's sexy but it is the first time she's been complimented for being a biker chick. She shouldn't feel pleased by the unique flattery, especially not from a man who charms women all the time, but she is.

"I've had the bike since college so the jargon comes pretty easily," she says to deflect the compliment.

"Maybe you could give me a ride on it sometime?"

"Maybe," she says but she's thinking _definitely not_. Having Castle's tall frame pressing into her back with his hands around her waist would be a bad idea. She'd never get involved with a client; Beckett is certain of that. But there's no point in putting temptation in her way either.

"Beckett, you've surprised me and it's not often that I say that. A bodyguard and a biker chick, it makes me wonder what other things you might be hiding."

"I'm not really all that interesting," Beckett shakes her head. "Other than the bike, my only hobby is reading."

"Don't tell me, you only read security magazines and the latest publication from the National Rifle Association," the writer teases her.

"Actually I mainly read mystery novels."

"Have you read any of mine?" Castle leans forward with interest to hear her answer. "I bet that you're secretly a huge fan."

"I've read all the big names in the genre," she pauses, letting the silence pull him in. "You know the greats like Patterson, Deaver, Connelly, and Child."

"Touché." He has to smile at Beckett's well-aimed sting. The deliberate omission of his name is her way of getting back at him for his teasing and it's a worthy retort. "If you ever want to read my books then please feel free to grab one from my study. I may not be in the same league as those luminaries but you never know, you might actually enjoy them," he adds with self-deprecating humor.

"Thank you Castle. Maybe I will," she answers with a smile of her own. Beckett doesn't tell him that she's already read every book that he's written. Her mom was the one who introduced her to Castle's first novel 'In a Hail of Bullets.' Beckett has loved his writing ever since that first book. She's such a fan-girl that she's even lined up for an hour at one of his book signings. But that kind of information is something that her employer doesn't need to know.

"What about you? What would you normally be doing on a Tuesday night?" she turns the focus away from herself.

"Tonight would have been my poker evening. It's just a small group of writers who get together once a month or so. Patterson is hosting it but I had to send my apologies. It didn't seem right to run off and leave you alone here on your first night."

"It's still early yet, barely eight o'clock. I don't mind if you wanted to go now," she assures him.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asks with false indignation. "No, I'm quite happy here. Enjoying a glass of wine and learning more about you is much more fun than drinking Patterson's whisky and taking money off a bunch of fellow writers. The view is better here as well."

The way that he's staring at her is unsettling and she shifts her gaze from those penetrating blue eyes. She latches onto the first innocuous topic that she can think of.

"So you play cards with a group of people whose job is to come up with ways to commit murder; it must make for some very interesting conversation around the poker table. Is that how you come up with plots for your books?"

"We sometimes discuss how a particular plot point might be handled if someone is stuck but that's not often. The problem is that if you come up with a good idea then you don't really want to share it, otherwise you might end up reading about it in someone else's book. No, I get a lot of my ideas from observing people. I find my inspiration from real life."

Beckett had read the speculation on the fan sites that Clara Strike from the Derrick Storm series was based on a real person. Castle had never publicly confirmed it but the way the character was portrayed suggested that the author was more than a little infatuated with his muse.

"It's still a long stretch from observing people to coming up with an idea for a mystery novel. I watch people as part of my job; I'm always observing people's mannerisms so that I can assess the risk profile. I don't think I could come up with a best-selling murder novel despite all my observing."

"I guess that what I do is a little more than just people watching," he tilts his head as he tries to explain the whole writing process. "When I'm watching someone I'm really interested in finding out what the story is with them. What's the chain of events that lead them to where they are now? Take you for example. I would never have expected you to be a bodyguard so there must have been a series of events that caused you to go down this pathway. Most people who go into security come from either a police or military background," Castle looks at her expectantly.

"I was a cop," she confirms his suspicion but doesn't offer anything more.

"A cop," he nods as he processes that information. "You can't have been a cop for very long though. You're only early to mid-twenties. An intelligent woman like you would have gone to college as well before the police academy so that would only leave two or three years at most. You were probably still a uniform when you quit. With a Type A personality like yours it's interesting that you changed careers after such a short time."

"Maybe I just didn't enjoy it."

"No it wasn't that. You had a reason why you became a cop and it's unlikely that you achieved your goal as a lowly officer. Something thwarted your mission."

Her face freezes as Beckett hides her growing anxiety, his deductions are hitting very close to home. The bodyguard can still remember her police captain catching her in the archives going through the cold case of her mother's murder. She wasn't meant to be there and it was against procedure for her to be digging into that case. Montgomery had given her the choice of either resigning or getting an official reprimand on her record. It was at that point that she'd realized that she'd never get the chance to investigate the murder that had changed her life. She'd resigned and started up Safe Hands in partnership with her old training officer.

"The fact that you were cop also doesn't make sense. Under normal circumstances that wouldn't have been a career that you would have considered. Most smart, attractive women become lawyers, not cops. And yet that's what you chose. Why? Your voice is pure Manhattan; there's no trace of the bridge or boroughs in it so that means money. You went to college, probably a good one. You had options. Yeah, you had a lot of options ... better options ... more socially acceptable options. But you still chose to become a cop." He pauses again as he tries to read her face for clues.

"That tells me something happened; not to you though. You're wounded but not that wounded. No, it was somebody that you cared about, somebody that you loved. You couldn't live with that because the person responsible was never caught. You became a cop to get justice but you realized that you were never going to achieve it so you quit. And that's how you ended up being a bodyguard." His words trickle off as he realizes that he's hit a nerve. For a second he saw of flash of anger mixed in with vulnerability in her eyes but it's gone as quickly as it appeared.

"That's a cute trick Castle. But don't think that you know me; you don't," Beckett cautions him, the steely tone tells him that he's definitely overstepped the mark.

Whatever slight thawing she might have felt towards him has definitely taken several large steps back.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes and he truly is sorry. Like a nine year old, sometimes his mouth says things before his brain can stop it. Whilst he is interested in her story, he would never be malicious about it. Causing her pain was never his goal.

"I'm tired so goodnight," Beckett gets up and uses the obvious lie to excuse herself. She doesn't even acknowledge his apology.

"Goodnight Beckett." He's left alone with his wine and a new curiosity about the mystery that is Kate Beckett.

**A/N – thanks to Tripp3235 for the suggestion of how to get Beckett to call him Castle. For those who were wondering how Beckett ended up as a bodyguard, I hope that this explains it. As for Castle and Beckett, it's one step forward and two steps back.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Castle stares at her obliquely from the corner of his eye. He thinks he's being so circumspect but Beckett is very aware of his gaze.

"Is there something wrong Mr. Castle?"

He startles at being caught out and hurriedly re-directs his eyes to where Alexis is playing with her friends.

"I'm sorry." It's not just about the staring and they both know it. He's apologized so many times over the last three days but she keeps putting him off each time.

"It's okay."

It's not okay. If it was okay then she wouldn't be back to calling him Mr. Castle constantly. Somehow she makes the title sound like an insult. Her tone is perfectly polite but he can tell that when Beckett says mister, she really means insensitive jackass.

"What can I do to make this up to you? I know, I could buy you a pony," he offers.

He wants to buy her a pony to make up for invading her privacy. Does he think that she's five years old? It might work with his daughter but it just falls flat with the bodyguard.

"You don't have to do anything. I said it was fine." She walks off to the other side of the playground leaving the writer by himself.

* * *

"Did Daddy do something wrong?" Alexis looks up from the picture that she's coloring in.

"Why do you ask that?" Beckett hedges her answer.

"Cos you sound funny when you speak to him," the little girl shrugs her shoulders as she tries to articulate what she can sense between the two adults. "I'm sure that he's sorry if he did. You should forgive him cos it's nice to forgive."

"Did your father put you up to this?"

"Nope, if he had then I would have used puppy dog eyes as well," Alexis demonstrates her pleading gaze with the sad frown. "I'm real good at that."

Kate laughs at the expression. "Yes you are. I don't think I could hold out against the old puppy dog eyes."

"I practiced a lot on Daddy," Alexis admits with a smile. "He says it's so good that I should be his chicken wing."

"Chicken wing?" Beckett queries the odd phrase.

"You know a chicken wing; when you're the support person."

"Oh, you're the wing man."

"Yup. So are you going to forgive him?"

"I'll think about it."

The child doesn't push any further; that concession is enough to appease her and Alexis goes back to her crayons.

The children's area of the bookstore is on a mezzanine level and Beckett can see where the writer is holding his book signings from her higher ground. Predictably, the line of fans is about ninety percent female and most of them are young. He's been there for over an hour and there are still at least twenty people in the queue.

It's been hard to hold onto her anger towards him when he's been so contrite. The tension that it's caused has worn on her nerves as well. Maybe it is time to forgive him, even if it's only to make living at his place easier. Beckett is still considering the options when her phone rings and she snags it out of her pocket.

"Beckett," she answers her phone with a characteristically concise response.

"Is this Kate Beckett?" the stranger on the other end asks.

"Yes, who is this?"

"My name is Dr. Fong. Your father, Jim Beckett, was brought into the emergency department at NYU Langone Medical Center after a fall. He's stable but he's going to need an operation. Unfortunately he's not able to give consent for the procedure and you're listed as his next-of-kin. We need you to come in to sign the paperwork and we also need to find out what his past medical history is and if he's on any medications."

"Oh my god, what happened?"

"It looks like he slipped in the bathroom and hit his head on the edge of the sink. He's quite confused and a CAT scan has demonstrated a subdural hematoma; that's blood around the brain. He needs to go to theater to have it drained as it's causing some compression to the underlying tissues. It's not life-threatening but it's best to deal with it sooner rather than later."

"Of course, I'll be there shortly." She hangs up on the doctor and dials her office. "Hey Janet, it's Kate." Beckett greets the office manager. "Something's come up. I need someone to relieve me for a couple of hours. Are any of the guys free?"

"Sorry Kate, they're all out on assignments. But Esposito will be back in about three hours. Is that soon enough?"

"No, that's too late. Don't worry Janet. I'll work something out."

Her mind runs through the scenarios, discarding options until there's only one choice left. Normally she doesn't let her personal life interfere with work but there's no way around it.

"Alexis can you please pack up your stuff? I need to talk to your dad."

The child readily complies and Beckett is thankful for such an obedient charge; at least little Castle is a delight to work with even if big Castle is a pain in the backside. She takes Alexis' hand as the child skips down the aisles of the books. The store employees recognize her so they let the pair through the sectioned off area where the writer is seated but there's one hurdle that Beckett hadn't anticipated.

An attractive blonde woman steps up and blocks the path before the bodyguard can get to Castle.

"Is something wrong?" Gina asks as she ushers the other woman away from the table where Castle continues to sign books; the novelist is completely unaware of the drama off to the side.

Gina Coswell is Castle's publisher but Beckett can tell that the woman is hoping for something more than a professional relationship with her star author. The woman was so obvious when the two women were introduced to each other; she'd practically stamped a big 'taken' sign on the writer to warn Beckett off. The brunette was tempted to laugh at the absurdity of it; she had no interest in competing with the blonde for Castle's attention. Gina was welcome to take her turn on Castle's arm and in his bed as far as Kate was concerned.

"I need to talk to Mr. Castle."

"Richard is still busy signing books. I'm sorry but you'll have to wait," Gina apologizes with a fake smile.

"This can't wait; it's important. I need to talk to him now."

"Is there some kind of child-care emergency?" the publisher asks sarcastically. His daughter had been present when the two women had met so Castle had introduced Kate as Alexis' nanny. There hadn't been a chance to correct the lie after that. "Alexis looks perfectly fine, aren't you sweetie?"

The redhead shakes off the patronizing pat on the head from Gina and ducks behind Kate to get out of the publisher's reach.

"Richard is doing his job. I suggest you take Alexis back up to the children's area and do yours."

"It's a personal emergency. Now please get out of my way Ms. Coswell," Beckett's going to give her one last chance, if the bitch doesn't move then she's going to end up flat on her ass.

Gina crosses her arms and plants her feet, "No."

"It's ok Gina," Castle steps in between the women; he'd heard the commotion and had come to investigate. From the steely glint in Beckett's eye he'd probably saved Gina from some serious harm.

"Richard, you can't just walk out before the signing is over," the blonde protests. "These people have queued up for a long time to see you."

"I'm sure that Beckett has a very good reason for the interruption," the writer tries to smooth the tension. "Gina, can you take the details of the people who are still waiting? Tell them that there's been an emergency and that I'll send them a free signed box set of the latest Storm novels."

"Richard!"

"Gina." The low growl in his voice warns her not to push any further and the publisher stalks off with one last glare at Beckett.

"My dad had an accident and I need to go to the NYU hospital," the bodyguard explains. "I'll take you guys home first. You should be fine as long as you stay in." She can't say more than because there are little ears listening.

"Oh my gosh, is it serious?" Castle asks.

"The doctor said that he's stable but he needs an operation. I wouldn't normally ask a favor like this but there's no one else who can cover at the moment."

"Of course you should go; family is much more important than a book signing. We can go directly to the hospital now."

"No you don't have to. It will just be a lot of waiting around. Alexis is already tired and you have better things to do as well. I can take you home first."

"Don't be silly. The hospital is only five minutes from here and the loft is on the other side of town. If we went home first then that would add another fifty-minute delay," Castle points out the logical choice. "We don't mind keeping you company while you wait, do we pumpkin?"

Alexis nods her agreement. "I've got my book and my crayons to draw with. Kate, would your Daddy like a picture to make him feel better?"

"Thank you, I'm sure he would." Beckett smiles at both father and daughter; the generosity of their compassion is overwhelming.

* * *

Alexis has fallen asleep, stretched out on two chairs that have been pushed together and her head is cushioned on Castle's folded jacket. Beckett watches the sleeping child as she leans against the wall. There's a dusting of cheese flavoring above the girl's lip; it had been a choice of either Cheetos or a chocolate bar from the vending machine.

It's been two hours since they got to the hospital and her father still isn't back from surgery yet. It's not a high-risk operation but Kate still worries; anything could happen. Her father is the only family that she has left; even though the relationship is dysfunctional she still loves him.

"Here, I thought you might need this," Castle holds out a cup of coffee to her as he walks back into the room. "They only had filter coffee but it's better than nothing."

Her fingers curl around the warm paper cup; the smell of caffeine is enticing and soothing. He has been so good to her this whole time. Fending off Gina, coming with her to the hospital and even bringing her coffee. He didn't need to do any of that and he hasn't complained about it at all.

"Thank you … Castle," she deliberately omits the 'mister'.

It's a tiny thing but he notices it immediately.

"You're welcome."

A comfortable silence descends as they both sip from their respective cups.

"I guess you noticed that my dad was drunk when we got here."

He nods, waiting to see where she's going with this.

"I wish I could say it's unusual but it's not. He's an alcoholic, ever since my mother was killed," Beckett stares at the depths of her coffee like it is the most fascinating thing. She can't bring herself to look at him as she bares her past.

"I was nineteen and we were meant to have a family dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. My Dad and I were waiting there and she was running late. I knew something was wrong because Mom was always on time. When we got home there was a detective waiting for us. He said she'd been stabbed in an alleyway; the cops wrote her off as a random victim of gang violence. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and they never caught the guy who was responsible for it. I never believed it though; she had no reason to be in that part of town. I became a cop because I thought I could solve her case. I could find some clue that would finally make sense of it all. I dove in and it became my obsession; I went down that rabbit hole and I almost didn't make it out."

"What happened?"

"I got caught by my boss; I was still a uniform and had no right working a cold case like that. The chances of finding something new after so many years is tiny and he made me see sense. I quit after that and went into personal security instead. So that's my story; your guess was pretty accurate Castle."

"Yeah," he shrugs. He'd like to offer her some sympathy but he knows her well enough to realize that it wouldn't be well received. Beckett is likely to read it as just pity and she's too proud to accept pity.

"So will you use it for one of your books? Will I read about some vigilante killer that Storm comes up against? A social reject with an alcoholic father and a murdered mother; she never adjusts to the loss and goes on to self destruct."

"No. If I was going to base a character on you she'd be smart, attractive and really good at her job. Her personal loss makes her more empathetic and it's the impetus that allows her to achieve great things. She'd be … extraordinary."

Beckett is overwhelmed by the description. Does he really see her like that or is he just describing this fictional character? If it's veiled praise then she's not entirely comfortable accepting it; it's far too intimate coming from a man that she's only known a few days.

He can tell that the bodyguard is uneasy; he's coming on too strong again and he needs to back off a bit.

"I'd call her Nikki Heat," he says with a teasing smile.

"Nikki Heat? That sounds like a stripper name."

"Did I forget to mention that she's kind of slutty?"

Beckett is rolling her eyes and trying to clamp down on the smile that threatens to break out when the surgeon walks into the room.

"Ms Beckett, your father is in recovery now. The surgery went well and he should be fine."

"Oh thank you doctor." Beckett is so relieved that she gives the woman an impulsive hug before turning to Castle and hugging him as well. Tears of joy stream down her face at the news.

"Oomph." He's not expecting the warm, feminine mass that hurtled into his arms but he recovers quickly and hugs her back. She's tall and her head rests comfortably on his shoulder. It's the first time that they've touched like this but it feels so familiar and right.

Beckett pulls back too quickly for his liking. There's an embarrassed smile on her face even as her hand swipes at the tears that keep coming.

"Sorry Castle," she apologizes for her impulsive actions.

"No need to apologize. Anytime Beckett." He smiles at her and wonders how he can get her back into his arms again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Let me give you a hand with that," Beckett lifts the other end of the wooden table surface. The dark cherry wood is covered in green felt and the façade fits perfectly over the dining table to convert it into a poker table.

"Thanks." Castle pulls it slightly towards him until he's happy with the positioning. It's not that heavy but the size and shape of it makes it an awkward job for one person.

"How many people are you expecting to come tonight?" she asks him.

"It's my turn to host the monthly poker game for my writers' club. I'm only expecting Patterson, Cannell and Connelly."

Beckett nods at the information. A group of three people is a low security risk. It's not like having a large party with potential strangers roaming the loft and having access to Alexis.

"Can I play please Daddy?" the child clambers up the chair so that she's seated at the table. "I've been practicing my poker face." The scrunched eyebrows and flattened lips are the five-year old's interpretation of an inscrutable expression.

Castle checks the time on his watch; it's only seven so he's not expecting his guests for another hour. "Ok, we can play one round of _Go Fish _but then it's your bedtime."

"Yay," Alexis throws her hands up in delight. "Kate will you play with us as well? You can sit here," she pats the chair to her left.

"Sure, I'm a bit rusty on the rules of _Go Fish_ but I'm sure I'll catch on quickly," the brunette slides into the seat.

"You have to make sure your cards are hidden," Alexis mimes the action, holding her hands close to her chest. "Otherwise Daddy tries to cheat and look at your cards."

"Alexis Castle! How could you accuse your own father of cheating?" he harrumphs with fake indignation. "Don't give Beckett a bad impression of me. It only happened once and it was your fault. The way you were holding your cards meant that they were practically being flashed in my face. I couldn't help but look when they're right in front of me."

The redhead holds a hand over her mouth as she giggles at the comic look on her father's face.

Castle shuffles the deck of cards as he quickly runs through the rules for Beckett's benefit. "You start with five cards each. The goal is to get all four cards of the same rank. When it's your turn you can ask one other player for a specific card rank to match a card in your hand. For example, you could ask me for jacks. If I have any in my hand then I have to hand them over; if not then I'd say go fish and you pick up a card from the top of the deck. If it's a jack then you get another turn otherwise it's the next person's turn. Once you complete a set of four of the same cards then you place it face up in front of you. We play until either someone has no cards left or there are no cards left in the deck. The winner is the person with the most sets at the end of the game. Does that sound easy enough?"

"Yeah," Beckett nods. "Let's play."

"No, you forgot a step Daddy," Alexis says. "We have to pony up."

The woman raises an eyebrow at this. He's gambling for money with his five-year old daughter?

Castle laughs as he correctly interprets the bemused look on Beckett's face. "Don't worry, Alexis doesn't need to enroll with Gamblers Anonymous yet. We don't play for money."

"Ok, so what are we playing for then?" the brunette asks.

"Kisses!" the girl yells with enthusiasm.

Kate freezes in place. She is _not _going to play a game where she might have to kiss Richard Castle; even if they are just innocent, platonic kisses on the cheek (which they would be because his daughter is present).

The writer laughs even harder at the stunned look on her face. "Don't worry Beckett. We're playing for these kisses." He pulls a bag of chocolate kisses from a drawer and throws them into the middle of the table. "Although if you'd like to wager for a different type of currency then I wouldn't mind it at all."

He has a sexy smirk on his face and she knows that he's just pulling her chain but Beckett can't help biting her bottom lip unconsciously as if imagining his mouth there. She stops it as soon as she's aware of what she's doing.

Dear god, she hopes that he didn't notice it. It would only inflate his ego even more if Castle knew she'd even contemplated playing for the other type of kiss.

"What woman could say no to chocolate? The chocolate kisses are fine and they're far less likely to disappoint." She gives a nonchalant shrug. He can flirt if he wants to but she's not going to encourage it by responding.

"That's a pity," is all that he says although his stare lingers on her mouth for a fraction too long.

Alexis looks from one adult to the other; the little girl is completely oblivious to the sexual undertones of the conversation and she's growing bored with the conversion. "Let's play," she demands and it breaks the mood.

"Ok pumpkin," Rick switches his attention back to his daughter and starts dealing out the cards.

The game proceeds with a lot of squealing (from Castle), eye-rolling (from Beckett) and giggling (from the youngest player).

"Alexis, have you got any fives?" the writer asks his daughter.

"Go Fish!" she crows triumphantly as she points at the dwindling deck.

He flips over a ten and gives an exaggerated sigh of disappointment.

Beckett grins as it's her turn now. "Castle, have you got any fives?"

"You guys are ganging up on me!" he says with a petulant moue. The writer only has one set while Alexis has five and Beckett has four.

"Hand them over Castle," she holds her palm up and crooks her index finger at him.

She looks so incredibly hot right now; he can just imagine her leaning back on her elbows in bed and crooking that same finger at him. He has to look away before he does something totally inappropriate.

With those last two cards that she's claimed off Castle Kate has finished another set and the game is over.

"So that makes five kisses for Alexis and me, and only one for Castle," Beckett passes out the appropriate rewards.

"Yay, I won!" Alexis beams as she regards her horde. It doesn't last for long though because the kid rapidly tears into the wrapping and drops the confectionary into her mouth.

"You may have beaten me this time but I will get my revenge," Castle puts on an evil villain voice. His hand reaches out to try to nab a piece from Beckett's pile.

She slaps him back. "Don't even think about it. If you wanted more chocolate then you should have paid more attention during the game."

Castle looks mournfully at his solitary piece. "Alexis will share with me, won't you honey?"

The child has her last piece in her hand. She looks at it for a second and then looks at her father before popping the chocolate into her mouth. "Sorry Daddy, it's all gone," she says around her mouthful.

Beckett laughs at the insincere apology while Castle is gasping like a stunned fish.

"I can't believe you wouldn't share with your poor father who is starving. For that I'm writing you out of my will," he declares. "All of my money will go to my other child."

"Nope," the delightful child shakes her head. "I'm the only one."

"Are you sure about that?" he scratches his head. "I could have sworn I had another kid hiding around here somewhere. In that case I'll get my revenge by locking you in the cellar of doom for the night." He picks her up and puts her over his shoulder like some loose piece of luggage. "But first you need to say good night to Beckett and then brush your teeth."

"Good night Kate." Alexis is practically hanging upside down and she giggles as her father carries her up the stairs to bed.

Kate has gathered up all the cards and is half way through clearing all the chocolate wrappers and their drinks from the table when he comes back down again.

"Thanks but you didn't have to do that," Castle tells her as he picks up the last glass and carries it to the kitchen.

"I don't mind," the bodyguard shrugs as she rinses the glass and puts it into the dishwasher. It feels very domestic and comfortable as they work side-by-side.

"How's your dad doing?" he asks her as he empties a packet of pretzels into a serving dish, preparing snacks for the guests.

"He got out of hospital two weeks ago and checked himself into rehab."

"That's good."

"We'll see." This isn't the first time that her father has tried to stop drinking; she's learned not to expect too much. That way it hurts less when he falls off the wagon again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." He can see the sorrow in her eyes; he's gotten better at reading her subtle clues. There are times when it'll disappear, but it always comes back again.

"You don't need to be sorry. It is what it is," Beckett shakes her head ruefully. "And now I'm making you depressed as well. I should go to bed and let you enjoy your evening."

"You don't need to go and hide in your room just because I'm having the guys over for poker. You should join us; we could always use some fresh blood at the table."

"Poker with a group of best-selling authors? I think that the stakes might be a bit too rich for me. Besides, it's a boys night. They won't want to have a woman hanging around while you drink whisky and tell exaggerated stories of your manly prowess."

"It's only one hundred-dollar stake and as for your other objection, you'd be totally wrong. Manly prowess? Really Beckett?" he teases her about her word choice. "It's not some Victorian gentlemen's club. These guys are all mystery writers and you're a bodyguard, they'd love an opportunity to pick your brains. Authors are like vultures, we love to scavenge ideas from any possible source."

"I don't want to impose," she protests weakly.

"Oh I see," he nods knowingly. "You're scared that I'll beat you."

"You couldn't beat me on your best night," she fires back at him.

Castle smiles because he knows that he has her hooked. "Those are fighting words Beckett. Would you care to put your money where your mouth is? Unless you're all talk and no action," he challenges her.

"Just for that I'm going to make you hurt. Prepare to get your ass kicked."

"Bring it on Beckett. Let's see what you've got."

True to his prediction, the other writers are more than welcoming when Kate joins them. The conversation is entertaining and lively, as you would expect from a group of people who make their living by spinning stories. After several rounds and a couple of double whiskeys Beckett feels as relaxed as if she was with a group of old friends.

"What was your biggest case as a police officer?" Patterson asks her as he deals out another hand.

"I was only a uniform but I worked on the task force for the Greenwich Killer."

"I remember that case. Victor Meier. He kidnapped and killed five people over a six month period and left their bodies in various dumpsters around Greenwich Village. How did you guys catch him? Cannell quizzes her.

"From the GPS tracking of the last victim's capsule endoscopy."

All the writers look confused so Beckett goes on to explain. "The guy had anemia and his doctor had organized this test to see if it was due to bleeding somewhere in his gut. You have to swallow this camera that's about the size of a large pill and it takes pictures as it travels through the intestine. The patient also has to carry the receiver with them so it can pick up the images using bluetooth. What Meier didn't know was that the receiver has a GPS chip in it. He was smart enough to ditch his victims' cell phones immediately but he kept the receiver, Meier must have thought it was portable hard-drive because that's what it looks like."

"That's a novel way of catching the bad guy. Do you mind if I use in one of my books?" Connelly asks her.

"Stop trying to steal my muse and concentrate on the game Connelly. It's your call," Rick interrupts them. He says it jokingly enough but there is a hint of possessiveness that has Beckett raising an eyebrow at him.

"Fold," Connelly throws in his card and Cannell quickly follows suit.

"So what is it going to be, Patterson?" Castle hassles the older man. "Are you going to bow out on a whimper like the rest of these cowards?"

Castle has been on a winning streak all night and he's well clear in the lead. Beckett is the only other player with a decent number of chips left and even then she has less than half the pile that Castle has.

Patterson eyes his cards again, he'd dearly love to beat the other man but he's only got crap. "I'm out."

"Now it's down to just you and me. What do you say Beckett?" Rick challenges her with a smile.

"Come on Beckett, you can do it. Rick needs to have his ass kicked or his ego will never come back down to earth," Patterson encourages her.

Kate looks at her cards, she's got two pairs. It's not a bad hand but it's not great either. She stares at her opponent to try to glean any clue as to what he's thinking. The brunette has tried to work out Castle's tell all night but it's not been successful. The man is full of bluster and confidence even when he's got nothing in his hand.

What the hell, it's worth a shot. "I'm all in," she pushes her remaining chips into the pot. "So who's the coward now Castle? Have you got the balls?"

He grins like boy who's been up to mischief. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He matches her call.

"A pair of queens and nines." Kate flips over her cards.

"Damn," he pouts for a second as if conceding defeat. "That's a shame because I've got a full house." A triumphant grin breaks out over his face as he pulls his winnings in. "And that, my friends, is what they call skill."

"I'd call it blind luck," she retorts with humor.

"My precious," he hovers over the chips like Gollum with his ring.

The other players all laugh at that impersonation and then stand up to leave.

"It was lovely to meet you Kate," Connelly says as he puts his coat on. "You should come again but next time you need to trounce this punk."

Patterson echoes the sentiment. "I can see why Rick ditched us the last time to hang out with you instead."

"Next month the game is at my place and you are more than welcome to join us," Cannell is the last one out the door. "Rick, my check will be in the post tomorrow."

Castle starts cleaning up the glasses and chips as soon as his guests have all left but Beckett remains motionless by the table.

"What did Cannell mean when he said the check was in the post?" she asks the writer.

A guilty look flashes over Castle's face and he quickly hurries off to the kitchen with the dirty glasses. "It was nothing."

"Castle, tell me."

She can sense that something is not quite right by the way he keeps avoiding her gaze. Her hand strikes out and she's grabbed his ear and is twisting it before he has a chance to escape.

"Apples, apples, apples," he cries. "Ok, I'll tell you but you have to let go."

Beckett releases his ear but she stands there with her arms crossed and ready to pounce again if she doesn't like his answer.

"Stephen didn't have enough money on him for the stake so he's sending me a check to cover the difference. See it's nothing."

"Cannell is a best-selling writer and a television producer. He's not the type of man who wouldn't have a hundred dollars on him." Beckett pins him with a piercing gaze. "And it wouldn't make sense for him to send you a check for such a small amount. So you had better tell me what's going on here if you don't want me to hurt you again."

Rick sighs because he knows that there is no getting out of this. "So I might have told you a little white lie. The stake was five thousand dollars, not one hundred."

"Five thousand dollars?" she chokes on the amount. "I just lost five thousand dollars."

"Technically you didn't lose five thousand. You only lost a hundred dollars because that is all that you put in the kitty. I don't expect you to put in an extra four thousand nine hundred dollars," he explains logically.

"And what if one of the other guys had won tonight instead of you. Were you all in on this? Letting the poor bodyguard play at the rich kids table?"

"No they didn't know. I just paid the difference for you. I don't know what you're so upset about Beckett. It's just money after all."

She is incredulous at how he can be so smart and yet so dumb at the same time. "You lied to me and it's condescending. I don't want your pity and I don't gamble money that I can't afford to lose. It's the principle of it."

"It wasn't pity Beckett. It's not pity when you're trying to help a friend have some fun."

"I'll pay you the difference," she says stiffly, her pride won't let her do anything else.

"Don't be ridiculous Beckett; I'm not going to take your money. It's not fair to make you honor a debt that you didn't know you taking on. If you try to give that money to me then I'll just give it right back."

"Castle," she growls.

"How about a compromise then?" he holds his hands up in a placating way. "We'll play another hand of poker. It'll give you a chance to win your money back."

"I'm not falling for that," she shakes her head. "You're just going to deliberately lose so I can 'win' my money back."

"Ok. To make it fair then we'll play for something that I do want to win. If you win then you can pay me the difference and I won't argue about it. But," he holds up a finger, "if I win then you owe me a kiss.

By the way that he's look at her Beckett knows that he's not talking about chocolate kisses this time.

"Do you know how stupid this bet is? If I win then I get to pay you money and if you win then you want to forfeit that money in return for a kiss," Kate sums up the wager.

"I'll admit that when you say it like that then it sounds stupid. But I think that a kiss is worth more than money and you think that your pride is worth at least five grand. See, when I say it like that then it sounds very reasonable." He smiles at his own logic. "So are you going to play or what?"

"Fine, deal it out all the cards face up. That way there's no bluffing or deliberately losing. It'll all be done to luck," Beckett stipulates her conditions.

"As you wish." A quick shuffle to randomize the pack and then he distributes the cards.

She gets a pair of tens in her hand which is a promising start. So far Castle only has a king and a three.

The flop cards reveal a five as well as a seven and an ace.

"It looks like the cards are finally going my way," Beckett says.

"Not so fast. There's still the street and river to go." With a flourish he turns over the last 2 community cards to reveal a queen and a ten.

Kate can't believe it: the lucky bastard has managed to draw a flush with the last card, beating her three of a kind. The shock of it is quickly superceded though by the realization of exactly what Castle has won.

Crap. She owes him a kiss. Beckett flushes hot and then cold at that thought. She tells herself that it's not excitement that induces that reaction but the knowledge that she's about to do something really stupid.

They both say nothing as they continue to stare at that last card until finally she can't bear the silence any longer.

"Hurry up and let's get this over with." She scrunches her eyes closed and puckers up her lips.

Castle has to laugh because the bodyguard looks like she's preparing to be kissed by a frog. "Relax Beckett. This isn't _Fear factor._ I'm not about to make you eat a live beetle."

He stares at her but her expression doesn't change; her eyes are still tightly closed.

What the hell is he doing? It's been like a minute already and he still hasn't done anything. Beckett refuses to open her eyes and her stress levels are building.

Rick finally slips his hand to gently cup her chin. His mouth hovers just over her lips so that she can feel the warmth of his breath. "I'd gladly give up more than five grand for this," he whispers and moves in. When their lips finally meet it's with the lightest of pressure. It's soft and tempting and unconsciously Kate leans further forward but he's already pulling back.

Her eyes blink open and she stares back at him from only inches away.

"See, it wasn't so bad was it?" He's not smirking or being cocky, instead there's something intense and fierce in his gaze.

Bad? No, it wasn't bad at all and that's what she's scared off.

"Goodnight," she mumbles as she backs away. She forces herself to walk to her room but inside she feels like running.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Music blasts out the ear buds of her iPod. The catchy rock beat of _A_ _Lonely Boy_ is competing with the rhythmic pounding of her feet and mechanical whine of the treadmill. It's only six-thirty in the morning and Beckett's already managed nine miles. If she wasn't working then the brunette would normally enjoy an early morning jog around the running tracks of Central Park but starting a run at five a.m. would be ridiculously early, even for her.

Her sleep had been fitful which she was blaming on an overly soft mattress (not that it had been a problem until last night). It had nothing to do with Castle kissing her, nothing at all. It was barely even a kiss, more like peck on the lips. It was as innocent as when Alexis had done the exact same thing just the other day. The girl had wrapped her arms around the woman's neck and kissed her goodnight after her bedtime story. See it meant nothing. The problem was that it wasn't Alexis' lips last night and Castle's intentions could never be called innocent.

Arrrgh! Stop it Kate. Stop thinking about it; just put it out of your mind.

Under ordinary circumstances, she could rely on exercise to clear her mind but it just wasn't working today. No matter how fast she ran Beckett couldn't outrun her own thoughts.

That damn, arrogant, fool. The bantering and flirting had been bad enough. Why did he have to take it even further and kiss her? What was he thinking?

And that was exactly the problem. Kate had no idea what Castle was thinking. Was he deliberately trying to torment her? Maybe he would have kissed any other attractive woman in the same situation? Or did it mean something more?

Her hand stabs the stop button on the treadmill and it comes to an abrupt halt. Whatever Castle was thinking doesn't matter because Beckett knows that any of those scenarios is a bad idea. She needs to put a stop to it before it really gets out of hand, before _he_ gets out of hand. Would Castle be all cocky and smarmy now that he's proven that she's not immune to his charms? And now that they've crossed that boundary would he think that it could happen again?

There's no way that she can avoid him; not when she's practically living in his apartment. But there has to be another way of discouraging him without resorting to being rude or bodily harm. Should she ignore it and pretend that the kiss never happened? That would be her preference, but knowing Castle, he's going to keep pushing the limits of her tolerance. The man was insidious, the way he kept chipping away at her resistance.

The bodyguard uses a towel to wipe at the sweat dripping down her neck and takes a long drink from her water bottle. There's a satisfying burning feeling in her thigh muscles as she stretches and warms down. Another hour of yoga has her body feeling relaxed and limber but the same can't be said for her mind. The loft is silent as she makes her way to the bathroom; the other occupants are probably still blissfully asleep.

Beckett turns the handle and a torrent of water blasts from the shower head, washing away the traces of exercise but it makes no impact on the dilemma that she's facing. She's still mulling over the problem by the time she heads to the kitchen for her first caffeine shot of the day. They're both adults (or at least Beckett is an adult, she's not so sure that Castle is one) so they could have an adult conversation about it. She'd explain to him all the logical reasons for why they couldn't get involved and that would be the end of it.

She's half way down the stairs, mentally listing all the salient points that she would make as part of her case, when the smell of freshly brewed coffee hits her, alerting Beckett to the presence of the writer.

"Good morning Beckett. Would you like a cup? It's freshly brewed."

Castle looks disgustingly refreshed and nonchalant. He probably slept like a baby and she hates him for that.

"Yes thanks."

"About last night …" he pours the coffee into two cups on the bench.

The bodyguard unconsciously tenses as she waits to see how he's going to play it.

"… I wanted to apologize. In hindsight, I shouldn't have lied about the five thousand."

Beckett won't admit that it's disappointment that has her shoulders sagging. If he wants to ignore the issue of them kissing then she'll go along with it.

"Apology accepted."

"Great. Let's drink to that." Rick holds out the full cup like a peace offering.

Their fingers brush as he hands over her coffee and Kate jerks back causing the hot liquid to spill, a few of the drops catching him.

"I'm so sorry," Beckett apologizes as she grabs a paper towel to clean up the mess. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. These hands will survive to write another best seller," Castle assures her. "You're a bit skittish today. I've never seen you being so clumsy before."

"The cup was hotter than I was expecting," is her weak explanation.

"Right." There's a grin on his face that's practically calling her a liar. "Something was definitely hotter than you expected and I don't think that it was the coffee. If you're feeling a bit … flustered because of our kiss I would understand. After all, I am ruggedly handsome and I have been known to have that effect on women." He waggles his eyebrows.

So he's not going to ignore the situation then. Obviously the jerk was just waiting for the right moment to bring it up. Beckett can feel her teeth grinding at his knowing look and it irks her to know that he's right. She hates the thought that she's just one of a legion of women that he's just mentioned. Kate would never give him the satisfaction of knowing that though.

"I'm not flustered," she grits out the denial.

"Are you sure about that?" he's still grinning. "Obviously I didn't do it right then. Maybe we should kiss again just to check."

The brunette takes a step back and holds up her hand to stop him. "I only let you kiss me because I had to honor a bet. It won't be happening again." Beckett stresses that last sentence.

"I could change your mind about that. My powers of persuasion can be quite strong."

She has a sinking feeling that he's right. The writer is an intelligent, funny, and charismatic man who's well versed in the ways of charming the opposite sex. Beckett could resist that public persona; the problem is that she's seen a glimpse of the private man as well. He's also the devoted father who puts his child first and the compassionate man who helped her even when she was being nasty to him. There are deeper layers to Rick Castle that has her thinking that kissing him wouldn't be a bad idea. And yes, he was hot as well.

But it wouldn't be professional. Getting involved with Castle, even if it was a purely physical affair, would be messy. Living in his loft and _being_ _with_ him could affect her ability to be detached and that would affect her job and that's something that she won't compromise on.

"Keep dreaming," Kate fires back.

"Oh, but I am. You feature very prominently in my dreams." The comical leer on his face leaves no doubt about what kind of dreams he's having. "Do you want to hear about them?" he offers playfully

Beckett rolls her eyes at the suggestion. "Spare me the details of your delusional dreams. I'm sure that they're as imaginative as that of a teenage boy who thinks he's going to get lucky."

"You're comparing me to a teenage boy?" He's mildly affronted by that. "I'll have you know that I am all man. But if it means that I'm about to get lucky then I can find my old pastel shirt and _Ray Bans,_ à la _Don Johnson_ style. That was what all the cool teenage boys were wearing in the 80s."

Beckett has to fight back the laugh that threatens; the man was a shameless flirt. And that's when the realization hits her. Castle is flirting with her and she's flirting back. She's actually enjoying this and that is all wrong. Somehow he's managed to get to her despite all the walls that she's surrounded herself with. This is not how the conversation was meant to go.

"This needs to stop," Kate tells him.

"I need to stop dreaming about you? But those are my best dreams," he jokes, unaware that the brunette has turned serious.

"No. I mean that you need to stop with this," Beckett waves a hand between the two of them. "You're the client and I'm the bodyguard. No more flirting. I can't work like that; there has to be a clear separation between the professional and the personal. I can't protect Alexis properly if you keep trying to distract me so you need to stop. No more kissing, no more innuendoes. If you can't do that then I'll have to quit and let one of the other guys do this job," she lays down her conditions.

The seriousness of her tone must have gotten through to him because he's no longer grinning. Castle doesn't agree with her about the problems with mixing the two realms. It's clear that the bodyguard is already doing that when it comes to Alexis. Bedtime stories and playing Barbie beauty parlour isn't part of Beckett's professional duties but the brunette has been happy to give Alexis the kind of love and attention that Meredith isn't supplying. In his opinion, that bond makes the bodyguard even better at her job because she has more of vested interest in the girl than just money. Beckett isn't as detached as she claims to be.

But it's also clear that Beckett can't be talked out of it. So, for Alexis' sake, he'll take a step back.

"Ok, I'll stop."

"Good," Beckett says but she can't help the small part of her that's disappointed by how easily he gave in.

**A/N: sorry that the last chapter took me a month to post, the build-up to Christmas was hectic. On the bright side this one is a lot more timely.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Martha Rodgers could never be accused of being a wallflower. Her dramatic entrance through the front door of the loft could have as easily been on the stage of any Broadway play. She's an explosion of color from her vivid red hair to the leopard print shirt and aqua jacket. On anyone else the combination would appear ludicrous but on the actress it's, somehow, just right.

"Where's my girl?" the diva opens her arms widely as Alexis comes barreling into her.

"Gram! You're here!"

"I've missed you so much darling. The show was a success of course and I thought of you every night I sang _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. _Did you get my postcard from Chicago?"

"Yup. Daddy stuck it on the fridge."

"And have you been practicing your singing?"

The little girl nods her head enthusiastically.

"Good. We'll do a command performance of the _Lion King _tonight then," Martha declares with a flourish of the hands. "And who is this then?" she finally takes note of the brunette standing behind the child.

"That's Kate," Alexis doesn't offer any more of an explanation than that.

"Of course. Richard has told me so much about you; only good things I promise. I feel like I know you already," Martha smiles and shakes the other woman's hand.

Beckett is bemused by the comment; she's curious to know exactly what Castle has been saying to his mother. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms Rodgers. My mom took me to see you in a production of _Mousetrap_ a few years ago, I thought you were brilliant."

"Thank you my dear. You can never go wrong by complimenting an actor on their craft and please, call me Martha. Now where is that son of mine?"

"You bellowed Mother?" Castle teases as he exits from his study and saunters over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"A woman never bellows darling. I merely projected my voice," she retorts with a faint huff.

"Of course. I'm sorry; my mistake." The accompanying grin on his face is anything but apologetic. Despite the surface bickering, it's obvious that there's a genuine affection between mother and son.

"You're looking very suave tonight," his mother compliments him.

The writer is wearing a dark burgundy shirt with a black jacket and tie. The stylish cut drapes over his broad shoulders perfectly and makes him look even more handsome than usual.

"So where are you two going tonight while I'm babysitting?" Martha asks.

Castle and Beckett share a startled look before the bodyguard stutters a reply.

"We're not going out. Well, we are but … that is … umm. I meant to say that we are going out tonight but separately. I'm going ice skating at Rockefeller Center."

"Of course dear. I didn't mean to imply anything." Her words are conciliatory but Martha can draw her own conclusions from the way her son and the beautiful brunette are behaving. A romantic at heart, she can sense an attraction between the pair even if they're denying it. "Skating you say? That sounds like fun; although I'm sure it would be even better if you had some company. Don't you agree Richard?"

"Mother, can you please stop harassing Beckett? The poor woman already has to put up with me at work; she doesn't need to plagued during her leisure time as well."

"No it's fine," Beckett assures them. She doesn't mind the older woman's interference; it's obviously well intentioned, if somewhat off the mark. Setting her up with Castle? He might not be as bad as her first impression lead her to believe. Beckett can concede that the man does have some redeeming features, but the thought of them going on a date? Despite the kiss they'd shared, a date was never going to happen. "And I'm going skating with my boyfriend so I already have company."

It's an exaggeration to call Will her boyfriend. He certainly wouldn't mind the title but there are a lot of things to work through if they're ever to have a proper relationship again. She was hurt when he chose his job and Boston over her; the FBI agent still has to regain her trust. Despite having sex with him twice, the jury is still out. So it's a little white lie to say that she has a boyfriend but it seemed like the easiest way to derail Martha's matchmaking scheme.

"See, Beckett can manage without your meddling," Castle shoots the bodyguard a grateful smile for the gracious way she sidestepped Martha's plans. He's surprised though by her admission; Beckett never mentioned that she had a boyfriend before. The writer is more than a little curious as to what kind of man the brunette finds attractive. No doubt the guy is some uptight, responsible bore. You'd be yawning within five minutes of meeting him and he probably suited Beckett perfectly. For some reason the thought of it irritated him.

"So if you aren't taking this beautiful, young woman skating then where are you off to tonight Richard?"

"I've got that interview with the local television station tonight. Black Pawn wants me to drum up some publicity before the release of my new _Derek Storm_ novel. The book party is next week and they want some buzz beforehand. I might head out to a new club opening after that as well. Gina thinks it would be good for the book if I got my picture onto page six. The readers seem to enjoy the image of the playboy author; sales apparently always go up when I've been involved in some scandal. But I should be home by midnight."

"Home by twelve? Youth is wasted on you young people. When I was your age, a night out meant not getting to bed before the sun. I've brought my overnight bag so you can stay out as long as you want. Don't come home early on my account."

"Thank you Mother. Goodnight pumpkin. You be good for your Gram." He leans down to kiss the bright red hair before he walks out the door. "I'll see you all in the morning."

Beckett lingers for another half an hour, waiting for Esposito to relieve her. She has a quiet word with Martha out of Alexis' earshot.

"Esposito will be just outside the door if there are any problems. If you hit the panic button on the alarm then it will go through to my pager and I'll be back here as soon as possible. Otherwise I'll be back at seven tomorrow morning."

"Go have fun on your date my dear. We'll be fine."

Her nose is red from the cold and her fingers are numb as well despite the insulated gloves that cover them. Will is showing off by skating backwards as they do another circuit around the rink. He was always better at ice-skating; a skill learnt from years of playing hockey at school. Beckett isn't a novice but she's more of an average skater.

Around them there's a mixture of teenagers showing off with their friends, families with children and couples enjoying a romantic outing on the ice. Everyone is wearing thick puffer jackets, gloves and hats to cope with the freezing temperatures. There's one young boy who looks like he's about Alexis' age; he's being led around by his father. The kid moves awkwardly with stiff tentative steps. Beckett can't help but wonder if Castle has ever taken Alexis here. She can imagine him coaching the young girl through her first experience on the ice.

"A penny for your thoughts," Will's voice breaks through her contemplation.

"Sorry, I was a million miles away," the brunette apologizes ruefully. "What did you say?"

He waits until she's level with him before taking her hand and continuing their forward progression together. "I asked if you wanted to go for a coffee or hot chocolate afterwards."

"Yeah that sounds nice. I could use something to warm me up; it's freezing tonight."

"Well if you need to warm up then I know something that's much better than coffee."

Beckett smiles but doesn't comment on the obvious offer. "One last circuit? I think that our session is over in another five minutes." The next group of skaters is already lined up by the side of the rink, ready to take their place.

The talk is of miscellaneous things as they stroll out of the throng of people who are handing back their rental skates. Will has been amusing and attentive all night. Beckett should be enjoying herself but she's been distracted.

"Is that diner still there? What was it called again? Remy's? I've got a hankering for one of their triple stack burgers and we could go halves on one of those awesome strawberry crepes for dessert. How about we go there for a bite?"

"Yeah, it's still there but don't even think of touching my crepes. None of this going halves, you can get your own," she warns him. The glare that she sends him is only half joking; the crepes are really that good that she could hog down a whole serving by herself.

"Ok, little Miss Greedy," Will agrees with an easy laugh. "Are you cold?" he asks when he notices her shivering.

"Yeah. That wind is freezing; I should put on another layer before I left the house," Kate pulls up the collar of her jacket and hunches her shoulders against the cold.

"Come here." Will drapes an arm over her shoulders and she huddles closer into the welcome warmth as they walk along. "Is that better?"

"Much better thanks," she looks up at him with gratitude.

They're half way to the diner when Beckett notices a familiar figure just up ahead.

What the hell is he doing here? And why is Gina with him?

For a second the brunette contemplates ducking into a door way so that she can avoid him but even as she's thinking about it the writer looks up and spots her. Beckett curses her indecision, she should have just gone with her first instinct. Now there's no polite way of avoiding the introductions.

Will slows down to match her pace and then stops as he recognizes the man approaching them. Instinctively he tightens his arm around Beckett's shoulders.

"Castle. Gina," she greets the pair. "It's a surprise seeing you here."

"Hey Beckett. For a city of eight million people, New York can still be a small place. The filming studio is only half a block from here." Castle explains. There's a pregnant pause as he looks at the man by her side. Clean-cut, square jaw and handsome, the guy is probably Beckett's ideal man.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Beckett apologizes as she realizes her mistake and rushes to make the introductions. "This is Will Sorensen. Will, this is Richard Castle and Gina Cowell. Castle is a mystery writer and Gina is his publisher at Black Pawn Publishing."

Will uses his free hand to exchange handshakes with the other couple. "It's nice to meet you."

"How was the skating?" Castle asks amicably.

"It was fun; I managed to not embarrass myself horribly. Will is much more agile on the ice."

"Kate is just being modest; she's much better now than she was the first time we went skating. Back then I had to practically hold your hand the whole time for you to keep your balance. But, Kate being Kate, she was determined to manage on her own and she had the stubbornness to achieve it. That's one of the things that I love about her," Will presses a kiss to her cheek in an obvious show of possession.

There's a smile on Beckett's face so the casual observer wouldn't guess that she's pissed off by the agent's alpha male display. That kind of cave man behavior isn't winning him any points with the bodyguard but she won't berate him for it, not while they have company.

Castle also watches the display with a jaundiced eye. It's obvious that the guy is jerk and he can't understand why Beckett is letting him get away with it. Something about Sorensen is rubbing him up the wrong way. Maybe it's the fact that he's draped over Beckett like a smothering blanket. "Beckett's always struck me as being a pretty independent person. I'm sure she would have managed on her own," he needles the other man.

Kate is trying to work out a polite exit strategy before this degenerates any further. Fortunately Gina comes to the rescue and the bodyguard has never been so grateful to the blonde woman before.

"Richard, we should get going. It's too cold to keep standing out here and our dinner reservation at Quantum is at nine." It's a work-related dinner but Gina doesn't mention that, if Beckett was to interpret it as something else then the blonde isn't about to correct the assumption. The publisher often takes her more important writers out at the expense of the company, it's one way to keep them happy and prevent poaching by other publishers.

"Yeah we should get going as well. We're off to grab a bite too," Beckett explains.

"Well in that case would you like to join us?" Castle offers. He smiles as if he was completely ignorant of the fact that it's a socially inappropriate invitation; the other couple is obviously out on a date

"Umm, we'd love to but …" Kate stammers, his offer has caught her off-guard. "…but we're not dressed for it." Her mind finally comes up with an excuse. Quantum is a Michelin-starred restaurant with a dress code to match. Jeans, a sweater and a puffer jacket may be fine for ice skating but she wouldn't get through the front door of the restaurant.

"How about we join you then? Where were you headed?" Castle persists.

Both Will and Gina look annoyed at the writer's obtuseness but he seems to have no shame.

"We're just going to a local diner. The food is nothing fancy, it's just your standard burgers and whatnot," Beckett warns him. "It's not a fine dining experience like going to Quantum."

"Do they do good portions?" Castle ignores her protests.

"Yeah, you certainly don't go away hungry after a meal at Remy's," Kate says truthfully.

"Richard! We have a reservation," Gina protests again.

"Oh come on, you can cancel them," he coaxes his publisher. "There's always a queue at the door so it's not like they'll have a problem filling our table. Besides that, the dishes at Quantum are pretty to look at but they're the size of a postage stamp. I feel like having a burger."

"Fine," Gina gives in, it's evident that Rick is going to persist with this fiasco despite anything she may say.

"Great, let's go then," Castle beams a smile at the other three people, none of whom look particularly pleased.

"Great," Beckett echoes. This is going to be the double date from hell and she wishes she could just shoot herself now or even better shoot the grinning writer.

**A/N: Can you say awkward? Hopefully that explains the situation for those people who were asking if Will was Beckett's boyfriend. He's still in the ex- category but he's hoping for more.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Warm air rushes out at them from the open door; it brings with it the delicious aroma of coffee. A glance around the room reveals the kind of place that is reassuringly old-fashioned and solid. The Formica table tops are blemished from years of hot plates and dropped cutlery. It maybe scarred but everything is clean and the posy of wildflowers on each table adds a cheerful burst of color. The group troops in with Beckett leading the way to her usual corner table. There's only a few other patrons as it's quite late for dinner, they look up from their own meals, and a couple give the brunette a guarded nod of acknowledgement.

"Wow you must come here often, it's like you're one of the regulars," Castle remarks.

"Not as often as I used to." Beckett pauses to divest herself of the gloves, tucking them into her pockets and then shrugs out of the bulky jacket; the warm temperature in the diner makes them redundant. "It's a cop diner. Most of the other people here work at the twelfth precinct in various departments," she confesses. "When I was a uniform this place was like a second home."

"Cool, this is almost as good as a cop bar," the writer enthuses. "Do you think that you could introduce me to some of your police contacts? I bet they would have some great stories about murders in New York City. Death by mutant pet alligator!"

Despite the grisly topic Rick looks like a kid in a candy store and Kate has to smile at his enthusiasm.

"Maybe at another time," the bodyguard offers. "Cops come here to relax and eat. They probably don't want to talk shop during their meal." She slides into the booth, throwing the jacket into the far corner.

"Yeah ok." Castle makes a move to join her but an arm bars his way. He looks up to meet the FBI agent's frigid stare. "Oh, sorry. It's your seat of course." The writer steps back so that the other man can sit down next to Beckett.

Gina sits down on the opposite side of the table and Castle joins her as a woman walks up to the table.

"Hi Beckett. I see you brought some friends with you. Are you after some food or just some coffee?" the waitress asks.

"Hey Judy, we'll be having dinner if the kitchen hasn't closed down for the night," Beckett greets the older woman. Judy is a fixture at the diner; she started there twenty-three years ago and has evolved into a mother figure for a lot of the young cops who've passed through the place.

The waitress snorts at that unlikely event. "Al's working the grill tonight and he wouldn't dream of turning away customers." Judy passes around the laminated cardboard menus and rattles off the day's special. "If you need something to warm you up then I'd recommend the minestrone soup. Or if that's not substantial enough then the steak and Guinness pie will fill you up. There's only one more serving of that though, it's been so popular that we've just about sold out."

Beckett doesn't even bother looking at the menu, she already knows what she's going to get. "I'll have my usual, thanks Judy." The thought of a Cajun drunken chicken burger and beer battered onion rings is enough to get her mouth watering. The original owner of the diner was a Louisiana native and although Remy had long since retired some of his recipes were still faithfully reproduced in all their spicy goodness.

"That Guinness pie sounds good," Castle says.

"I'm ordering it," Will interrupts before the writer can say anything more.

Beckett is shocked by her date's rudeness; Will doesn't even like Guinness. Admittedly having Castle and Gina come along is probably not what Will had planned for the evening but he could at least be polite about it. She gives him a sharp nudge under the table with her knee but he ignores her and continues to stare at Castle.

"Oh, ok." Rick readily concedes, making no comment about the abruptness of the other man. "I'm sure the other stuff is good as well. I'll just pick something else."

"Good luck with that," Gina is still looking at the menu. "I can't eat any of the stuff on here."

"If you're allergic to something then you can get your order altered. Al's usually quite accommodating when it comes to that kind of thing," Judy offers the suggestion to the blonde.

"Can Al make me a wild mushroom risotto with truffle shavings? Is he that accommodating?" the publisher asks spuriously. "Because that's what I was planning on eating tonight at Quantum, not minestrone soup or burgers."

Judy's smile freezes at the insult. "I'm sorry that you feel that way," she says through stiff lips, biting back her inclination to tell this haughty cow exactly what she could do with her mushroom risotto.

"I'm sorry Judy. I'm sure that Gina didn't mean it like that and she'd like to offer her sincerest apology, wouldn't you Gina?" Beckett is rigid in her seat with outrage; she can't believe the pettiness from the blonde, Will isn't the only one suffering from a lack of manners tonight. It's not like she forced Gina to come here tonight and, as far as Beckett is concerned, the bitch is free to leave at any time.

"Richard, if we leave now I'm sure that I could get our reservation back. Tony is the maître d' on tonight and he owes me a favor. Come on," Gina whines, completely ignoring Beckett's hard glare.

"You haven't even given the food a chance yet. There are lots of great options on the menu," Castle shoots an apologetic smile at Judy. "This one sounds good. I'm going to have the venison burger with some Buffalo wings thanks. Oh, and a Coke as well please."

"Fine, I'll talk to you later," Gina stands with a huff and walks out.

"I'm sorry that she was so rude," Beckett apologizes again, in a roundabout why she feels responsible for the bringing the publisher here.

"It's ok honey, it's not your fault," Judy waves it off although there's still a tightness around her eyes from the residual anger.

"They spit on her food at Quantum." The statement from the writer comes out of left field.

"What?" Beckett says.

Rick is looking at Judy with a grin on his face. "The issue isn't with your fine establishment, the problem is with Gina. She can behave like an entitled bitch anywhere. The last time we ate at Quantum she complained about everything and the waiter got back at her by spitting in her food. I found out later when I tipped the busboy. Hmm, maybe that's why she likes the risotto so much. It could be the extra _seasoning_."

Judy looks stunned for a minute and then breaks out into a chuckle, there's genuine humor in it. The writer has managed to clear the air and Beckett smiles at him gratefully. Judy didn't stand a chance; it doesn't matter if they're young or old, if they're female then they seem to succumb to his charm. The waitress is still laughing when she leaves the table with their orders.

"So what do you do Will?" Castle asks politely. "Beckett is very tight-lipped about her personal life; I didn't even know about you until today."

Sorensen shoots Beckett a glance, he's not sure exactly what the bodyguard has disclosed to her employer but she just gives him a vague shrug.

"I'm with the Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI."

"You're a G-man, that's so cool. Were you on the Long Island Strangler case?"

"No, I was actually up in Atlantic City at the time. I do liaison work with local police departments. So for three weeks out of four I'm traveling up and down the east coast," the agent explains.

"Is that how you and Beckett met? You bonded over hours of surveillance of some two-bit dive? A dark sedan and two people huddled against the cold of the night."

"It wasn't some film noir," Beckett points out before the writer gets carried away any further.

"Sorry, my imagination can be overly active; it's an occupational hazard." Rick apologizes with a grin.

"Yes, we met through work. Kate was a uniform with the NYPD and it was my first year in the bureau. We were searching dumpsters for evidence in organized crime case; it wasn't anything as exciting or as clean as surveillance work."

"Ah," Castle nods in a knowing manner. "Nothing says romance like the smell of garbage. Who needs roses?"

"It might not be as romantic as a novel but it worked for us," Will says stiffly. "Your books glamorize law enforcement but it's not realistic. You don't write about the hours of fruitless interviewing or the scut work of filing endless paperwork to get a warrant or sacrificing your personal life in order to get the job done. How come we don't read about that in your books?"

"You're right," Castle concedes with an easy nod, he ignores the angry undertones in Will's statement. "I gloss over the tedium because people don't want to read about it. Sorry, boring doesn't sell. But it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the fact that work or the sacrifices made. I certainly couldn't do your job. All that time away from my family would be too much for me to take. If I couldn't see my daughter every day then it would kill me. How do you manage?"

"The job has to come first," Will shrugs. "Partners and families have to realize that. I'm lucky that Kate understands the demands of the job; she never complains about all the time away." He takes the brunette's hand and gives it an affectionate squeeze.

Beckett looks down at their joined hands with growing unease as a revelation hits her. Will is slipping back into old patterns, taking her for granted. He thinks that she understands about the amount of time that he's away but the reality is that she doesn't care.

If he'd been away this often when they dated a few years ago then she would have been pissed off. The fact that she doesn't even care tells her that this is never going to work. As casually as she can, Kate reclaims her hand. She should really talk to Will, it's not fair to let him think that this is going to go any further but she can't do it now, not in front of Castle.

"You're a lucky guy," Rick agrees with Sorenson but his eyes are on Beckett and she stirs restlessly under that blue gaze.

"Here are your meals, I hope you enjoy them." The waitress puts the plates in front of each person. "If there's anything else that you want then let me know."

"Thanks Judy," Beckett is even more grateful for the interruption than the food; it gives her a good reason to look away from the writer's stare. Kate makes a point of steering the conversation towards more impersonal topics for the rest of the meal; she's had more than enough drama for one night.

* * *

Kate stands up and excuses herself to go to the bathroom at the end of the meal.

"Judy, can you bring us the bill please?" Castle signals to the passing waitress.

"Sure honey. I'll get it for you now," she puts the paper slip on the table and clears the last of the empty plates.

"I know what you're trying to do," Will says as soon as it's just the two men at the table.

"I just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to this place; the food was great. Paying the tab seemed like a reasonable thing to do," Castle gets up and pulls out his wallet from his back pocket to grab some cash.

"Right," Will snorts in derision. "You might think that you're being subtle but I'm not stupid. The way you shoehorned your way into coming here tonight, the way that you kept looking at Kate, paying the bill like Daddy Warbucks. If you think that any of that is going to impress her then you don't know her very well. Kate can see through someone as shallow and pretentious as you. I've known her a long time and you don't stand a chance."

Castle holds up his hands in a placating manner. "Hey it's not like that at all. I'm not trying to cut in on your dance. I can respect the fact that you already have a claim on her. No harm, no foul, ok? Let me just pay the bill and we'll call it a night."

"No, let's split the cost. I don't want your money. I can pay for Kate and me." Will reaches out to grab the bill from Rick but the writer holds it up in the air, just out of the other man's reach. His actions only inflame the agent even more. "Castle," Will growls in a threatening manner as he gets to his feet. "I'm warning you now. Give. Me. The. Bill."

"Can we talk about this? I don't want to fight about this." Some childish instinct prompts the writer to whip the bill behind his back and he backs away from the other man.

Will doesn't give any more warnings before he lunges at Castle, trying to pull the piece of paper off him. That's the tableau that Beckett sees when she walks back into the room. The two men look like a couple of schoolboys arguing over a favorite toy. Judy is hovering anxiously on the sidelines and the other patrons are looking up but no-one is close enough to intervene. Will pushes and Rick takes a stumbling step backwards but he's still trying to reason with the agent and talk it out rather than just conceding.

"What the hell is going on here?" Beckett barks but it's too late. Castle isn't aware of the empty table behind him and a second push from Will sends him tumbling backwards. He spins awkwardly and there's a loud bang as his head hits the edge of the table.

"Castle!" Beckett comes running over to the fallen man.

He isn't moving or making any sounds and for a few horrible seconds Kate fears the worse. His nose is bleeding but there isn't any other visible damage.

Will puts a hand on her shoulder. "Is he …? I'm sorry I didn't mean to …"

Beckett shrugs out of his hold, ignoring the agent in favor of the injured man. "Come on Castle, don't do this to me," she urges him.

"Hmm, what happened?" He finally moans and Beckett gives a sigh of relief.

"Don't move Castle. You've been concussed and your nose is bleeding. I can't be sure that you don't have a neck injury as well." Her hands are on his shoulders, trying to keep him still but he struggles up into sitting position.

"Do you need a hand Beckett?" Kate recognizes the detective who has come over to help.

"No, it's ok. Thanks Harrison. It was an accident." Or at least she hopes that it was an accident, that Will didn't deliberately mean to injure the writer.

The cop gives Sorenson a hard stare but he finally nods and walks back to his own table.

"What happened?" Castle asks again as his hands come up to cautiously probe at his rapidly swelling nose. "Oh shit!" he curses at the throbbing pain from even that light touch.

"I pushed you and you fell back over the table. I'm sorry man. I didn't mean to push you so hard," Will apologizes stiffly. "You just wouldn't hand over the bill."

"You guys got into a shoving match over the bill?" Beckett is so mad at both of them that she is seething. "That's what this stupid fight was about? What is it with men and their egos? You're meant to be adults for goodness sake, start behaving like it."

"Come on Kate, be reasonable. That bastard has been getting on my nerves all night," Will defends himself. "Making all those snide comments. He's been deliberately taunting me. Don't tell me that you didn't notice it. The guy has been hitting on you all night. What was I meant to do, just sit there and take it?"

"I'm not a prize for you to fight over like a couple of dogs with a bone. I expect more self-control from you Will."

"I can't believe that you're taking his side."

"I'm not taking anybody's side. I think that you're both idiots," she glares at both of them. Will looks pissed off, while Castle wisely chooses to appear chagrined.

"Can we talk about this Kate?" Sorenson tries to pull her off for a private conversation, he's not about to air any dirty laundry in front of his nemesis.

"No, I think you should go home and cool down. I need to take Castle to the ER to get his concussion checked out."

"Can I at least call you later?" Will asks.

"I think that it's best if you don't call me at all," there's finality in her gaze.

"Is this because of _him_?" jealousy boils through the agent's words.

"No. It was actually because of something that you said," Kate says quietly. She doesn't want to cause any more of a stir tonight but Will won't let it go. "It made me realize that we can't go back to where we were three years ago, or at least, I can't go back. It's over Will."

Will only gives a curt nod. He won't plead or beg, not in front of Castle. "Goodbye then Kate."

"Goodbye Will." The anger has faded and there's only a lingering sadness left. She cared about this man once, maybe it wasn't love but there were genuine feelings, and it makes her sad that she has to hurt him now.

Rick has stayed quiet throughout that exchange and he waits until Sorenson has left. He was in no shape to get up by himself but he could at least give the couple the token privacy of his silence. "I'm sorry about that Beckett."

Sorry for the fight or sorry that she's broken the cord with Will? Either way it doesn't matter now and Kate gives a philosophical shrug.

"Judy, do you mind getting some ice for his nose?"

The waitress nods and hurries off to the kitchen.

"Come on Castle, let's get you to the ER." Beckett hooks an arm under his shoulder and assists him to his feet.

"Do you think that you can tell the doctors that I got punched?" he asks.

"What?" Kate looks confused at his request.

"Getting pushed and stumbling backwards to break my nose sounds so girly," Castle whines (and it really is a whine with the way his nose is swollen). "Being punched sounds a lot more manly. "

Beckett rolls her eyes at his foolishness. "Ok Rocky, let's go."

**A/N: Gina probably wasn't as much of a bitch as this on the show but I've hated her ever since the season 2 finale. Also for those of you who wanted to get rid of Will, your wish is granted.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The bruise is at that pale yellowy phase, fanning across the bridge of his nose and barely noticeable now. It hardly hurts at all now but sometimes he'll forget and rub his hand across his face and the pain returns like a dull toothache. It's dark in the office; the only visible light is from the screen of the laptop which is perched on his knees. His fingers dance over the keyboard as he finishes another chapter in his next Storm novel.

The soft knock on the door breaks his concentration and he looks up to see Beckett standing there.

"Damn, I'm sorry. I must have lost track of the time, occupational hazard." His watch reads eight-twenty. "I'll be right there in a second." Castle saves the file and hustles to his feet.

"It's ok, I've already put Alexis to bed," she waves him back. "But I did want to have a word with you, if you've got a spare minute."

"Sure, what's up?"

"You don't need me."

"I don't?" The writer looks startled. He doesn't need her? It's only been three months, not a long period of time, but he can't remember what it was like before she was there.

"There's been no further letters. No-one suspicious has tried to approach Alexis. The most dangerous thing that's happened to her is when you tried to get her to eat that grilled cheese sandwich with grape jelly concoction." Kate smiles at the memory.

Castle had looked so proud, like it was a culinary masterpiece and then the comical look of disappointment when the two females had given it the thumbs down. "It's called a grilled chelly and I still think it was delicious," he mumbles.

"Chelly aside, Alexis hasn't been in any more danger than your average five year-old. Maybe it's time to reconsider my job here."

"What are you trying to say Beckett?"

"Castle, at the moment you're paying me to be a glorified nanny and that's not what I've trained to do. It's time for me to move on." It's a hard thing for her to say but emotions don't outweigh the logic. She likes it here, in fact, she loves it. It would be so easy to just keep coasting along, to keep living here like she was an actual part of the Castle family but it wouldn't be right.

"Is this about what happened in the diner? If you want me to call Will and apologize then I can, whatever you want I'll do it," the writer pleads.

Beckett shakes her head. "It's not about Will. I do a three-month situational reassessment with all our clients. My job is not only about reacting to threats, it's also about risk analysis. I haven't seen anything of concern this entire time."

"I could pay you more money, or how about a pony?" he offers.

"You already pay me a hefty amount, it's not about the money," Beckett declines the offer. "Morally I can't keep bilking you for a service that you don't need."

"It's my money and I don't mind being bilked," Castle whines. "And what about those letters that we did receive? I didn't just imagine them."

"You were right to be concerned when you got those letters but it's been months now and nothing has come of it. If the person responsible was going to do something then it should have happened by now. Typically the pattern of behavior escalates."

"Don't try to confuse me with logic. I just know that I feel happier when you're here ... for Alexis' sake," he hastens to add.

"She'll be fine, you'll both be fine. If things change, if a new threat crops up, then I'll be right back on the job."

He sighs in defeat, the bodyguard is a stubborn woman but she's also right. There's been not a hint of anything suspicious for months now.

"So when are you going to leave? I want to give Alexis some time to ease into this. She cares about you and she's going to miss you." He pulls out the guilt card but Beckett has already given this considerable thought.

"Maybe another week? Besides, it's not like I'll be in another country. If it's ok with you then I'd like to keep in contact with Alexis. Maybe take her to the park or the zoo sometime. I'll miss her as well."

"Yeah I think that Alexis would like that. But how about you stay until after my Halloween party? It's only another ten days from now and your firm could do the security for the event. With that many people in the loft I'd normally hire someone anyway and I'd feel happier if it was your people. Please Beckett?" he pleads.

"I'll leave after the Halloween party then," Kate nods her agreement.

There's a loud crash as a glass tumbles to the floor and both adults turn towards the lounge where the sound originated from. Alexis stands in the epicenter, her pajamas are soaked from the water and she's oblivious to the shards of broken glass around her.

"Alexis, what are you doing up? Are you ok?" Kate walks over to the mess.

"You don't care, I hate you!" She's flushed with anger and the reddened cheeks class horribly with her red hair.

"Alexis Castle! You apologize to Beckett right now," her father reprimands her but the girl ignores him.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" she screams and with a sob the child dashes back up the stairs to her room.

"Alexis must have overheard us talking. I didn't mean for her to find out this way," Beckett shakes her head sadly. The poor kid already has abandonment issues because of her mother and this was precisely the kind of scene that Kate wanted to avoid.

"She doesn't hate you, she's just upset. I'll go and talk to her." Rick's had far too much practice at consoling his disappointed daughter; starting with the day Meredith ditched them to pursue an acting career on the other side of the country.

"No Castle," the brunette puts a hand on his chest to stop him. "Let me talk to her first."

He hesitates but finally nods. Beckett isn't Meredith and she understands the girl a hell of a lot better than her own mother does. She deserves a chance to explain herself. "Ok, ten minutes and then I'll come up."

* * *

Kate eases the door open and peers into the dim room. The ladybug night-light outlines a figure buried under the bed covers.

"Alexis? It's Kate," she says softly.

The child burrows even deeper under the blankets but doesn't reply, turning her back on the woman. Kate walks over the bed and sits down on the edge. Sitting this close she can hear the quiet sobs, she can see the hunched shoulders shaking, and it tears at her heart.

"I guess that you heard that I'm leaving. I'm sorry that it's upset you," Kate picks her words carefully.

"I don't care," Alexis says defiantly. "I'm happy that you're going. I hate you."

"It would make me sad if you hated me because I love you." Beckett puts a comforting hand on the child's back and rubs in gentle circles.

"You're a big, fat liar. You're just saying it to make me behave. Grown ups lie all the time."

The brunette nods her agreement. "Adults do lie sometimes but have I ever lied to you?"

Alexis replies with a reluctant, "no."

"I've never lied to you and I'm not lying now. I really do love you. Who wouldn't when you are so pretty and sweet and you give the best hugs in the world."

The redhead turns over and stares up at Kate with watery, reddened eyes. "If you love me then why are you leaving?" the child demands.

"It's because my job is done," Kate strokes back the hair that has fallen over Alexis' eyes. "Your Daddy hired me to look after you and part of it was about keeping you safe. He was worried that … something might happen so he wanted an extra set of eyes to be on the lookout."

"So you're like a spy or a ninja?"

Beckett smiles at the analogy; Alexis is certainly her father's daughter. "Kind of like that. But nothing happened and you're all safe, so my job is over. You don't need me anymore. So I have to go and help other boys and girls who do."

"But I do need you, I do!" The child wraps her arms around Kate's waist with surprising strength. "Please don't go Kate."

Beckett returns the hug with interest. "Hey, just because I won't be living here doesn't mean that we won't get to see each other. You won't get rid of me that easily. I'll still come over to visit and we could go to the park or the aquarium. Maybe your Dad will even let you come over to my place for a girls-only sleepover."

The crying has diminished to just the occasional sniffle now as Alexis mulls it over.

"But it won't be the same."

"You're right, it won't be the same but it can still be good. It's like when your Gram goes away for her shows. You're sad for a short time but then she's back and that makes you happy again." The woman kisses the child gently on the forehead.

Silence.

"Kate," Alexis finally says. "I lied."

"What did you lie about?" Beckett swipes.

"I don't hate you, I was just angry," the girl confesses. "I love you Kate."

Emotions well up inside the woman at the admission. She couldn't love the child any more than if she was her own. "I know you do Alexis and I love you too."

Silence reigns for a period as they both soak in the moment.

"Can Daddy come too?"

"What?" Kate squeaks in surprise at the unexpected request. "For the sleepover?" Having Castle in her single bedroom apartment would be a bad idea.

"No sillly. Daddy's not a girl," Alexis says solemnly. "Maybe he could come to the park with us as well? 'Cos I think he's going to sad when you go away but you could make him happy again when you come back."

* * *

Outside the door Castle has been listening to the last part of the conversation in silence. He hasn't come in because it's clear that Beckett has it under control. He was just about to slip away when he heard that last comment from Alexis. For a five year-old, she's amazingly perceptive sometimes.

It's true he is going to miss the beautiful woman who's been sharing his home for the last three months. He would never have imagined this scenario happening, not after their inauspicious meeting on that first day. Beckett had been such a regimented bore or maybe he'd been an immature jerk. And yet somehow they've now got an … attachment, he's not willing to put another name on it yet.

Other than that one kiss, it's been a purely platonic relationship, but at the same time it's also strangely intimate. Despite where they started, they've ended up somewhere completely unexpected. He still teases her but now she'll fling her own quips back instead of going icy and withdrawn. Beckett still lets him now when he's being childish but it's with a grin and a roll of her eyes rather than a condemning stare.

He knows so many things about her, like how she likes her coffee and the fact that gets a little crease between her eyes when she reads because she concentrates so hard. He knows that her father is an alcoholic and that her mother's unsolved murder still eats at her. There are a million and one things that he knows about her that you just don't share with a casual acquaintance. So yes, yes he is going to miss her.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"What are you going do?" Lanie takes another sip of wine as she watches her friend unpack.

"Do about what?" Kate puts away the last of her clothes from the suitcase. Somehow she managed to accumulate 2 suitcases full of things at Castle's loft over the last few months. It's taken her most of the evening to shift the stuff back to her own apartment and unpack.

"Don't give me that BS." They haven't been friends for 5 years for nothing; Lanie has learned to read Beckett's little tells. "You know what I'm talking about. What are you going to do about writer boy?"

"There is nothing to do, other than my job that is." Beckett pushes the empty luggage into the closet and picks up her own wineglass. Only a mouthful left and the bottle beside it is already empty. "Let's go into the kitchen, I need to open another bottle."

"I'm coming," Lanie grumbles, "But don't think that this conversation is over. Come on Kate, just admit it. You like the guy."

"Sure I like him, he's a nice guy, but there's nothing more to it than that." The brunette selects a bottle of merlot from her wine rack and tops up Lanie's glass before seeing to her own. This isn't a conversation that she wants to have without more alcohol in her.

"He's a nice guy that you talk about every five minutes." Lanie fixes her friend with a piercing gaze; the M.E. could have had a great career as an interrogator. "I've never even met the man but I feel like I know him from all the things that you've said."

"Maybe, and I'm stressing _maybe,_" Kate shakes her finger at the doctor, "under different circumstances I might be interested in him."

"He's rich, he's good looking, he's funny and he's got a daughter who you adore to pieces. What more do you need girl?"

"He's a client, you left that off your list," Beckett points out the omission. "It would be like you going out with a patient."

Lanie scoffs at that. "I certainly hope not, given that all of my patients are dead. Come on Kate that's just an excuse. And I'd like to point out that as of tomorrow night he won't be a client anymore."

"There are other complications as well."

Lanie just gives her a skeptical look.

"He's got a terrible reputation with women and we really don't have anything in common." Her arguments sound weak and Kate knows it even as she lists her concerns. "What if he's not interested?" she says it softly because it's the fear that terrifies her the most.

Lanie snorts a laugh; Castle would have to be either gay or blind not to be interested in her best friend.

"Sure, I know that he's interested in _that,_" Kate admits with a blush. "But I'm talking about a relationship, I'm too proud to be another notch on his bedpost."

"Honey there are no guarantees in life," Lanie says sympathetically. "But I think that you'll regret it if you let this opportunity slip by."

* * *

Castle tucks the dark blue shirt tails into his ridiculously tight tan trousers. He pulls the straps of the suspenders over his shoulders and fastens them before adjusting the gun belt over his hips and tightening it into place. The replicate revolver slides into its holster with a comforting weight. The pièce _de_ résistance is the brown suede western-style duster that covers the rest of the costume.

He poses in front of the mirror, pulling the gun out in a quick drawer, twirling it around his finger before blowing pretend smoke from the barrel.

"Have you finished admiring yourself there Narcissus?" Beckett's dry tone interrupts the writer's posing but doesn't dent his enthusiasm.

"How cool is this costume?" He spins so that the tails of the duster slap against his thighs. "I had this custom-made by a guy who makes props for the film industry. It is awesome, right?"

"Yes it's awesome," Beckett can't help but smile at the child-like glee on his face. "It makes you look like a real ... cowboy?" She has to guess because she's not exactly sure what he's meant to be.

"You don't know who I am?" Castle splutters. "Seriously Beckett? Surely it's obvious." He turns in profile and poses with the fake revolver in his hand, barrel pointed to the ceiling.

The bodyguard shakes her head and offers a tentative guess. "Umm, Jesse James?"

"Jesse James? I'm much cooler than that. Think space cowboy. Browncoat. Serenity. Firefly." He tries some clues to help her out but she still looks puzzled and he throws his hands up in despair. "Oh for Pete's sake, I'm Malcolm Reynolds."

"Malcolm who?"

"Your knowledge of pop culture is seriously lacking," Castle informs her. "Malcolm Reynolds is the captain of the spaceship Serenity, the lead character in that television sci-fi series Firefly. People say that I look a bit like him, kind of ruggedly handsome."

"Sorry, I've never seen it," Beckett admits.

"I'm getting you the DVD set for Christmas, you'll love it."

"Thanks, I guess. But I actually came to get that guest list off you. The party starts in an hour and Esposito will be on the door to check IDs and invitations. Aside from that all the other security measures are in place. The upstairs area will be out of bounds. The staircase is roped off and Ryan will make sure that no-one is allowed up. From the landing he'll be able to keep an eye on Alexis' bedroom door as well as the party below."

"That all sounds good but I think that there is one detail that you've forgotten."

Beckett raises an eyebrow at that, she's planned for all possible contingencies and she can't think of anything that she might have forgotten.

"Where's your costume Beckett? It's a Halloween party and costumes are mandatory."

"I'm here as part of the security detail, I'm not here as a guest. I don't need a costume," she argues.

"Nah uh, you're not going to get out of it that easily." He shakes his head at the attempt. "Didn't I hand deliver your invitation?"

"Yes but …"

"No buts. You have an invitation so that makes you a guest tonight. I expect to see you in costume within the next hour."

"An hour is very short notice. Where am I meant to get a costume at this late date?"

He grins because he's already anticipated some resistance from her and he'd planned for it. "Fortunately for you I happen to have a spare costume in just your size." There's a box sitting on his desk and he lifts the cover off to reveal a gold metallic bikini.

"You want me to dress as Princess Leia? Let me guess, you had a pin up of Carrie Fisher in your room throughout your high school years." Beckett rolls her eyes.

"It was just junoir high," he admits with a grin. "She was pretty hot. Come on Beckett, you don't need to be shy, you've totally got the body to carry this off."

"I'm not about to prance around a room full of strangers in a lamé bikini to fulfil your puerile adolescent fantasy. You've invited a lot of people and I'd rather not embarrass myself in front of all of them."

"But you'd consider it if it was for my eyes only?" he teases her. "Kate Beckett! I never knew you could be so naughty."

For a split second she can picture it, putting on that skimpy outfit and teasing him right to the edge of madness. A private party for just the two of them and something flares in her eyes at the thought.

He can see it and it shocks him speechless. He was only joking around but she might actually be considering it.

"Oh I can be much naughtier than that," Beckett says in sultry, devious voice. She knows she's playing with fire, teasing him like this, but she doesn't care. Lanie is right, after tonight she won't be working for him so what the hell.

Castle could catch flies with the way his mouth is hanging open. He can't believe that Beckett's flirting so blatantly with him. It's like she's suspended all her rules, all the careful boundaries that she has in place for their working relationship. He takes an unconscious step towards her but Beckett has already stepped back. The smile on her face says that she knows exactly what kind of effect she has on him.

"Too bad you won't being seeing that naughtiness tonight," the bodyguard chuckles at his disappointed pout. "I don't think you could handle it."

He swallows hard because she might be right, although he wouldn't mind finding out. "Fine, don't wear the bikini then, but you're still coming in costume aren't you?"

"I'll see you in an hour." Beckett deliberately doesn't anwer his question.

* * *

Castle works the crowd like any good host. He'll stop briefly to chat with various people, making sure that the food keeps rolling out and that drinks are being kept topped up, but his eyes are constantly searching the room. He hasn't managed to spot Beckett yet. There a few people in full masks but none of them are the right build to be the bodyguard.

"Great party Ricky," his agent reaches out and snags his arm as he walks past.

"Thanks Paula, I'm glad that you could make it. I love your costume." She's dressed as Lara Croft and looks amazingly authentic. The writer tries to subtly reclaim his arm but she's latched on like some kind of limpet.

"I don't know what you did but Gina is pissed off with you. I'm getting daily compaints that you're behind schedule for your next _Storm_ novel," Paula takes a sip of her wine. "One minute Gina is trying to cuddle up to you, intimate dinners at fancy resturants, and then next thing you know she's threatening lawsuits if you don't deliver your manuscript on time."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Castle says with false innocence. "Maybe she just forgot to take her happy pills."

Paula manages a number of authors and she can smell bullshit when it's served up to her. Brown eyes narrow as the agent glares at her client. "It's a bad idea to piss off your publisher. Whatever you've done I want you to apologize. Just kiss and make up already. Do you hear me Ricky?"

The writer isn't listening and Paula follows his gaze to see what's diverted his attention.

Theres a woman at the top of the stairs talking to the security guy. The purple and black uniform has a Star Trek-esque feeling. The dress is short, ending just north of mid-thigh. It makes her legs seem to go on forever and the effect is accentuated by the platform wedges on her feet. The clear plastic strap covers her toes and four inch heels add to her, already impressive, height. Castle looks like he's been hit with a cattle prod.

"Huh. So I guess that's what pissed Gina off, or should I say who." Paula can make her own deductions.

"I'm sorry Paula. I have to excuse myself." Rick hustles away before the agent can say anything more.

They meet at the bottom of the stairs.

"Wow Beckett. Where did you get your costume? And at the last minute as well. I'm impressed."

The bodyguard shrugs, she's not about to admit that it was just hanging up in her wardrobe. It's a momento from her college days when she was a huge fangirl of _Nebula 9._ "So how do you like it?"

"I certainly approve of certain aspects." The way that he's eyeing up her legs tells her exactly what he approves of. "But I am a little disappointed in your television viewing tastes. _Nebula 9_? Come on, that show was so cheesy."

"You're dressed as a space cowboy – what does that even mean, space cowboy? – so you're in no position to mock my sci-fi show. Your character flies a spaceship but he's still weilding a revolver that wouldn't look out of place in the Civil War re-enactment. How are people meant to take that seriously? Mixing genres like that, now that's cheesy."

"Firefly isn't cheesy," he huffs with indignation.

"In a fight," Beckett goes on as if he hadn't spoken, "Lt Chloe would totally kick Capt Mal's ass." She sizes him up like an opponent before a bout.

He's willing to admit that this particular version of Lt Chloe would wipe the floor with him. Castle fiddles with the suddenly tight collar of his shirt. He may have the advantage of height and weight over her but he has no false illusions as to how he'd fare in a fight. Beckett has got mad ninja skills, it's what she's trained to do after all. Is it strange that he finds it a total turn on?

"How about we call it a tie?" He swipes a flute of champagne from the passing waiter and holds it out like a peace offering. "I won't mock your show and you won't mock mine?"

"Truce," she agrees. "I'll pass on the alcohol though, I'm on the job."

"Just one little glass won't hurt and I won't tell your client. I hear he can be a real hardass," he urges her with a grin.

"Ok, just one glass though."

"Great. Now come on," he hooks his arm around hers, "there's a few people that I'd like you to meet."

* * *

Castle had hovered by her side the entire evening and all that attention had made her feel special. The small touches when he handed her another coke or the hand in the small of her back as he guided her towards another person that he wanted to introduce. She might have even reciprocated by standing just a little bit closer to him than was necessary, in her defence she would argue that the party had been very crowded.

The evening had been perfect except for one little detail, she hadn't had a chance to talk to him alone. They'd been constantly surrounded by people. Everyone seem to gravitate towards him, drawn by the charisma or spark that he exuded effortlessly. People hadn't started to leave until almost two in the morning.

The caterers had cleaned up and were taking away the last of their gear. Ryan had checked all the rooms and confirmed that all the guests had left and then had taken off for his own bed.

"Yo Beckett, are you ready to go?" Esposito waits for her by the front door impatiently twirling his car keys around his finger.

"I'll be right with you, I just need to get my gun out of the safe." Kate yells from the study and then turns back to see Castle entering the last number of the combination. She takes the Glock out, checks the safety is on and then slips it into the pocket of her jacket.

"So I guess this is it then," Castle looks at her intently as if he's unsure of something.

"I'm sure that I'll see you when I come to visit Alexis," she offers, unwilling to be the first to say goodbye. This is the moment that she's been waiting for, a chance to talk to him alone. She should just blurt it out before her nerve deserts her totally.

"Yes, of course. I know that Alexis is looking forward to that."

"Yeah, I am as well. Looking forward to seeing Alexis that is." Her words stumble out like a drunken parade of students on spring break, under no control and completely inane.

Silence.

"Castle …"

"Beckett …"

They both start speaking at the same time and then stop.

"What were you going to say?"

"No, you go first," she insists.

"I was just going to say …"

"Beckett are you done?" Esposito's voice interrupts them.

The moment has passed and the brunette could shoot herself for missing the chance. He's already drawing back to allow her to step past him and out the door. "I'd better go, my ride is getting impatient," Kate says.

"Good luck Beckett and I'll see you around sometime."

"Same to you Castle."

They do the awkward half-hug thing that people do when they're unsure of the correct protocol, too close for strangers but not exactly friends. He smells so good at this range and she leans up to plant a kiss on his cheek. Rick turns his head at the last second and she finds that it's his lips that are pressed up against hers.

The shock of it hits as hard as their first kiss but this time he doesn't draw back. His hand cups the back of her head, holding her still as he explores the taste of her. Castle bites her bottom lip gently and then sooths it with a lick before his tongue pushes into the warm cavern of her mouth and everything explodes around them.

He stakes a claim with his mouth, his lips, his teeth. Everywhere that he touches feels like he's branding her and Beckett mets his possessiveness with a claim of her own. Her fingers comb through the soft hair at the nape of his neck and fists in the leather of his suspenders as she pulls him even closer. Oh God, this is exactly what she wants.

It's the sound of muted footsteps that breaks the haze fogging her brain. Beckett barely manages to pull back before there's a knock on the door and she hears Esposito's voice on the other side.

"Hey Beckett, are you ok in there?"

"I'll be right there." Beckett looks up at Castle. He looks as stunned as she feels.

This was not well thought out on her part. What was she thinking kissing him like that with Esposito waiting in the next room for her? She can't just send Javier home and jump into bed with Castle. The sensible thing would have been to invite him out for a coffee or a meal, instead she's practically jumped his bones instead.

"I have to go, Esposito is waiting," she points out the obvious.

Rick wipes his hand across his face, trying to come up with something semi-coherent. "Ok, but this isn't over. We need to talk," he insists, half-afraid that she's going to refuse and walk out on him. "I'll call you."

The smile that she gives him is only a twitch of the lips, shy and barely there but it's real. "Yeah, that would be nice." And then she's gone before Esposito gets even more suspicious.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Castle calls her the next morning at ten. He would have called even earlier than that but they'd both had a late night. It hadn't prevented him from having an early start as well but that was to be expected when you're the single parent of a young child. Out of courtesy he'd sat on his hands to stop the urge to call her as soon as he could. Ten was surely a reasonable hour to be calling someone.

Beckett smiles when the writer's number flashes up on her caller ID. "Hi Castle." It's not butterflies but the entire mosh pit of a heavy metal concert that is stomping around in her stomach, steel-capped boots and all.

"Hey, it's Castle here. But of course you already knew that, sorry I'm babbling." He slaps himself on the forehead at the faux pas.

Kate thinks it's cute that he sounds so flustered and it relieves her anxiety to know that he's just as nervous as she is.

"Is this a good time for you talk? I mean … I didn't wake you, did I?" Maybe he should slap himself again because obviously the first slap didn't work, he still sounds like an idiot. When did he lose his ability to charm women or is it specific to just this woman? He'd dithered about whether or not to call her today but in the end he just couldn't help himself. Did it make him seem desperate that he's calling her less than eight hours since they last spoke? Wasn't there some stupid dating etiquette that said you're not meant to call before day three?

"No. I mean yes, it's a good time to talk and no, you didn't wake me up. I'm actually in the office. I've got meetings all day."

"Oh," he sounds disappointed. "I was hoping that you might be free for lunch."

"Sorry, I'm tied up until four-thirty. How about after that?" Beckett absently plays with a lock of her hair, twirling it around her finger.

"Umm, that's a possibility as long as you don't mind being surrounded by lots of hyperactive children and their frazzled parents. I'm talking Alexis to _Chuck E. Cheese_ for an early dinner and then we're going to see the new _Harry Potter_ movie. Alexis picked the restaurant," he hastens to add. "It's probably not the most romantic venue for a date. Oh no but … not that I'm presuming that this is a date," Castle stammers. "Oh god, just forget everything that I've said and let me start again. Hi Beckett, how are you?"

"No way, there are no take backs," Kate laughs, it's good to see that she's not the only one who's nervous. "Do you take all your dates to such high-end establishments? Pizzas, breadsticks and a singing mouse. No wonder you've got such a reputation as a player."

"My reputation is grossly exaggerated and definitely a thing of the past," he assures her. "You would be the first woman I've invited to _Chuck E. Cheese_. And definitely the only first date that's ever met Alexis."

Her heart skips at the sincerity and warmth in his voice. Whatever his faults, Castle is a good Dad. He's very careful about the people that Alexis gets introduced to.

"Well in that case, you have yourself a date Castle."

* * *

He hasn't noticed her arrival yet and Beckett pauses to take the opportunity to observe the writer without him being aware. He's holding Alexis up so that she can bang away with her plastic mallet at some whack-a-mole game; she's not tall enough to see over the top of the table on her own.

It's hard to tell who is more excited every time the redhead manages to hit the rodent on the head, father or daughter? There's certainly a lot of yelling and then a big high-five as the machine spits out the reward tokens at the end. He's kneeling next to Alexis when he looks up and spots Beckett, his grin gets even wider. Her answering smile is probably just as wide and sickeningly sweet.

Alexis comes running over to the bodyguard first with her father trailing behind. "Look Kate, look at what I won!" She holds up the string of paper tokens like a party streamer.

"Gosh that's a lot. I saw you playing that game, you did really well. What are you going to do with all of those?" Kate asks the child.

"I want to get the purple princess prize-bag." Alexis giggles at the alliteration. "But I don't have enough tokens yet. I have to get heaps more. How many more do I need Daddy?" she looks up at her father.

"You need another ten tokens pumpkin." He flicks back a stray lock of hair that fallen across Alexis' face.

"Can I please have some money to play that game?" the child points over to some sort of bowling game which another little girl is currently playing.

"Maybe later, we should really order some food first," Castle replies.

"Please Daddy, please. You can order for me and I'll play just one game while we're waiting for the food." She gives him puppy-dog eyes.

"Do you think you can manage that game on your own?" he asks her.

Alexis tilts her head and gives him a look that says she thinks he's being ridiculous to even ask that question. The child puts out her hand and asks again, "Can I have some money please."

"Wow, I just had a glimpse of what it'll be like when you're a teenager and asking for my credit card." Castle is grinning as he grabs some coins out of his wallet and deposits them into the waiting hand. "Here then. Kate and I will be at that table when you're finished."

Both adults watch as the girl speeds off to game, her attention has already been caught by the flashing lights.

"So … seeing as this is date, we should start if off properly," Castle suggests with a grin.

Beckett raises a challenging eyebrow at him. "And how is a date meant to start?" she asks.

"With a kiss of course." His eyes are twinkling as he leans in to brush his lips lightly against hers. It's not the kind of kiss that he'd like to give her but, in a family restaurant full of kids, it's the only one that's appropriate.

"Very nice Castle," Beckett compliments him because it was, she would swear that her lips are tingling from just that chaste touch. "But I always thought that a kiss was for the end of the date, not the start."

"Well I don't want you to think that I'm easy, but if you play your cards right then you might get one at the end as well." Rick waggles his eyebrows in a comically suggestive leer. "Shall we adjourn to our table?" He gallantly holds out his arm and she hooks her hand around it, even as she's laughing at his cheesy moves. Castle makes a point of holding her chair out for her before sitting down himself.

"Order whatever you like, it's my treat," he offers magnanimously as they peruse the laminated menus. "Am I impressing you yet?" he asks with a wink. "Impressing your date is the second thing that you're meant to do," he informs her.

"Oh, so this is meant to be you flashing your money around?" Beckett teases him. "What if I had the appetite of a linebacker and ordered five of the most expensive things on the menu?"

"One of the advantages of dating you is that I already know that you eat like a linebacker, the weekly food bill shot up drastically while you were living at the loft." He grins at the blatant lie. "Why do you think I invited you here instead of somewhere expensive?" He has to duck quickly to avoid the paper napkin that Beckett throws at his face.

"Just for that I am going to order the most expensive option." She runs her finger down the column. "And that would be the chicken sandwich, with a side order of breadsticks, Buffalo wings and a Coke. Take that Castle." Beckett grins at him as he goofs around, pretending to take a hit in his wallet.

"Just remember that any money I spend on you is coming straight out of Alexis' inheritance. Would you deprive that poor, innocent child of her birthright?"

Kate rolls her eyes at his overblown theatrics; his blue eyes weren't the only thing that Castle inherited from his mother.

"Dragging your own child into this, that's pretty low even for you Castle."

He grins like a young boy who's up to mischief. "When it comes to you Beckett, I'm going to use any little advantage I can get."

She blushes because she knows that he's not talking about the food anymore. Her eyes drop back down to the menu again because it's too hard to meet his gaze. If she did then he'd be able to read her face and Castle would realize that he doesn't need any advantage at all because he might have already won.

* * *

Alexis comes running back with her newly won tokens as the food is being delivered to their table. "Is this enough tokens now?"

"Yes Alexis but you have to wait to claim your prize; it's time to eat now. We'll get your princess bag on the way out," Castle tells his daughter. "Come on, let's go and wash your hands." He looks over to the restrooms but the parents' room door is engaged, they'll just have to use the male restroom and he can cover her eyes. Alexis has recently started complaining about going in there but it's not like he can take her into the female facilities.

"I can take her, if you like?" Beckett offers as she realizes the writer's dilemma.

"Thanks Beckett, that would be great. I'll wait here for you." He smiles his gratitude at her.

* * *

"I saw you making kissy-face with Daddy. It's gross." Alexis informs the woman as she flicks the excess water from her hands.

"Oh." Kate makes a neutral sound as she processes that statement. She loves the girl and she doesn't want to upset her but it hadn't occurred to her that Alexis would be a barrier to any possible relationship with Castle. The child clearly loves her and Kate had assumed that Alexis wouldn't be upset if she started dating the child's father. "Why do you think it's gross?"

"Alan Peterson, from soccer, tried to kiss me one time."

Kate is bemused as she has no idea where Alexis is going with this.

"I put my hand on my cheek to stop him and my hand got all wet and gross." Alexis covers her cheeks in a demonstration. "He licked his pet frog first and then he chased me around the field and kissed me. I had to wash my face like a million times to get rid of the boy cooties. It was gross." She screws her face up in an expression of utter repulsion.

"So you're saying that having a boy kiss you is gross," Kate picks her way slowly through the logic of a five year-old. "It's not having your father kissing me that's gross?"

Alexis nods and holds her hands out for the paper towel which Kate has pulled out of the dispenser. "Boys are gross. I'm never going to let one kiss me," she says emphatically.

Kate has to bite her lip to stop the smile that threatens. "When you get older – much, much older- you might change your mind about that. Besides, your father kisses you all the time."

The girl thinks about that for a second. "Oh. That's true, Daddy does give the best kisses and hugs. Hmmm, maybe it's ok to get kisses from Daddy then but no other boys."

"And what about me?" Kate asks her. "Would it be ok with you if your Dad was to kiss me sometimes?"

Alexis nods easily. "I can share with you Kate, Daddy has lots of kisses to go around."

Beckett leans down to give Alexis a kiss of her own. "Thank you Alexis. Now let's go and eat."

* * *

Kate undid the clasp and slipped the chain from around her neck. Her mother's ring swung on the stainless steel links, the diamond briefly catching the light before she put it into her jewelry box on her bedside table. The evening had been perfect; it had been fun and easy. It had even been romantic, despite Alexis' presence or maybe because of it. It had felt like being a family. They'd shared a big box of popcorn amongst the three of them and Castle's hand had felt right as she slipped her own into his grasp.

A grandmother who'd been at the movie with her grandkids had complimented Castle and Beckett on their beautiful daughter. The poor woman had been so embarrassed when Kate had corrected her with a grin.

Beckett had no idea where this would end up, one date didn't mean happily ever after, but it certainly felt like a step in the right direction. Especially with the promised kiss at the end of the evening. Alexis had made a big production of being grossed out by it but her giggles gave her away.

Her phone vibrated on nightstand and she smiled as she saw the caller ID, it was Castle. She'd only left them twenty minutes ago, the cinema was a short walk from her apartment and they were taking the subway in the opposite direction.

"Hey Castle. Do you miss me already?" she answers her phone.

The voice on the other end though is not his laughing tone, it's young and female and high-pitched with fear.

"Kate, they-they-they took D-d-daddy. And they-they-they're chasing after me." The girl is whispering and sobbing making it hard to understand.

"Alexis? What's happened?" Fear has adrenaline racing through her body.

"Some bad people have got Daddy, he tried to fight them off and he gave me his phone and told me to run."

"Are those people near you now?" Kate swallows down the bile that threatens. She tries to keep her voice as calm as possible to reassure Alexis.

"No, I hid and made myself really small."

"Good girl. I want you to keep really quiet and stay where you are. Don't hang up the phone though; I'm coming to find you now. I'm coming to find both of you." Beckett hopes that she hasn't just lied to that little girl.

**A/N: Just when you thought it would all be fluff it turns out there is going to be a story hidden amongst it all. No point in making Beckett a hard-ass bodyguard unless she gets to show off her mad ninja skills.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Special Agent Sorenson is surprised when his cell phone rings and Kate's number pops up. He hadn't heard from her since that disastrous night at Remy's. "Hi Kate, this is a surp…"

"Will, I need your help," she cuts him off before he can go any further. "I need you to track down the physical location of a cell phone."

"Look Kate, I'd like to help you but I can't do that kind of thing as a personal favor. Unauthorized phone tracking would cost me my job," he explains.

"You know that I wouldn't even ask unless this was important. Alexis Castle just called me now, her father was assaulted but she managed to get run away and hide from the attackers. She has no idea where she is and I need to get to her before the kidnappers do. I can't afford to wait for the police to verify my story, that little girl is in danger now. Please Will," she begs.

"Ok, give me the number and I'll see what I can do."

Beckett rattles off the digits quickly.

"I need to put you on hold but it should only take a minute."

"Thanks Will, I owe you one."

Kate puts down her home phone and picks up her cell phone. "Alexis honey, are you still there?"

"Yes," the child whispers back.

"My friend is tracking down your phone now, so it won't take long to find you. You're doing really well but I need you to stay hidden and quiet for just bit longer. Don't come out until you hear me yelling your name ok?"

"Ok," her lip is quivering. Alexis has never been so scared before, nothing in her previously sheltered experience has prepared her for this. "But Kate … come quick ok?"

"As quick as I can," Beckett promises her. The phone is wedged between her ear and shoulder as she checks her gun and slips a flashlight and a couple of zip ties into her jacket pocket.

"Kate?" Will's voice comes back on the other line and the bodyguard has to switch phones again.

"Yeah, I'm here," she answers.

"The phone was tracked to the Upper East Side, East 73rd Street somewhere between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. I'll phone emergency dispatch and ask them to send a couple of patrol cars to help search the area."

"Thanks." Beckett hangs up abruptly and races out the door.

She takes her motorbike and rides like a madwoman across town, weaving in and out of traffic. More than one pissed-off driver had honked their horn at her but she'd ignored them all.

One of the patrol cars had beaten her there and a couple of uniformed officers had started canvassing the nearby shops and any alleyways for the missing father and daughter. It takes her a minute to explain who she is and her connection to the Castles.

"Here's a picture of the people that we're looking for." Kate pulls a print from her wallet. It's a scene from happier times with all three of them at the Coney Island Fair, big grins on their faces and Alexis is almost hidden by the huge stick of cotton candy that she's holding. "Alexis Castle, she's five years old. Red hair, blue eyes and about three foot eight inches and skinny. She's wearing a bright red t-shirt, jeans and a white and purple jacket. Her father is Richard Castle. Brown hair, blue eyes, about six foot two and one hundred and eighty pounds. He was wearing a black overcoat, green sweater and jeans. He may be injured."

It feels so impersonal to be describing them like this, reducing them to mere caricatures. Those words can't encompass how frighteningly smart and mature Alexis is for her age or how Rick still embraces his inner child by playing laser tag with his five-year old daughter. Those words don't describe what the pair have come to mean to her or how devastated she'd be if anything was to happen to them.

They split up, Beckett taking the right side of the street so that they can cover the search area more quickly.

"Alexis, I'm on the street now," Kate explains to the girl who is still on the phone. "I'm going to call out your name as I walk along and if you hear me shouting then you'll know it's safe to come out."

"What about the bad people? What if I come out and they get me?" Alexis sobs.

"I'll be there and I'll stop them. Plus I have some cops with me as well. I won't let the bad people get you."

"Promise?"

"I promise. You just need to be brave and come out when you hear me. Can you do that for me Alexis?"

"Ok Kate."

"Good girl."

Beckett races along the street pausing to question any pedestrians and to shout Alexis' name every twenty paces. She's reached the end of the block when someone taps her on the shoulder and she spins around. For a split second the sight of the tall, brown-haired man lifts her spirits, this was all just a false alarm, but then she realizes that it's the wrong person.

"Hi Will," Kate can't help the disappointment that colors her voice.

"Any sign of them?" he asks.

"No." Panic threatens to overwhelm her, so far there's been no sign of either Alexis or Castle and they've canvassed the entire area. If they were attacked inside a building then it's going to take even longer to search for them. That's if they're even looking in the right place.

"Was your tech person certain of the location? Are we looking in the wrong place?"

"Yes, the signal was triangulate off three different cell towers. That phone has to be somewhere in this area."

"What are we missing then?" Beckett spins around and looks for any possible areas that they've neglected to search. "Alexis!" she shouts and again there's no response. Her mouth is dry with terror and every second that passes lessens the chances that they'll be able to find the pair. This is all her fault, she must have missed something. She should never have talked Castle into calling off the security arrangement. If she'd been with them then this would never have happened.

Self doubt and what-if scenarios are spinning through her mind when something catches her attention. Over there, it's a scrap of sparkly purple material. It's the prize-bag that Alexis won at _Chuck E. Cheese_ earlier tonight. They'd definitely been here. Beckett races over and drops to her knee to pick it, Will follows behind her.

"Alexis!" she yells again

"What is it Kate?"

"Alexis was carrying this earlier" Becket explains to the agent as she searches for any possible areas that a child could hide. There's no nearby alleyways or dumpsters, nothing but rows of tidy Brownstones. Wait a minute, there's a storm water drain that's missing the covering grate; she's only spotted it now because she's still kneeling. It's not very wide but a child might just be able to slip into it.

Beckett shines her torch into the murky darkness of the drain but she can't see anything. "Alexis!" her voice echoes through the tunnel.

The reply is so faint that, at first, Kate thinks that she's imagining it but then it's repeated and louder this time.

"Kate!" A small figure emerges from the blackness, moving towards the source of illumination. Alexis is scratched and disheveled but is otherwise unharmed.

Kate puts her hand down into the drain opening but she can't reach the redhead. "You're ok Alexis. Just stay right there." She looks up to Will. "Can you contact city maintenance and find out where the nearest manhole that opens into this tunnel is? Let's get her out of there."

* * *

Alexis hasn't let go of Kate's hand since they pulled the girl out of the tunnel, it's like she needs that physical link to feel safe. A patrol car had given them a ride to the nearest police station and now they were seated in the interview room waiting for the detective assigned to the case to arrive, he was still out at the crime scene.

Martha had arrived in a panic at the news that her son was missing and that Alexis had barely escaped the same fate. The older woman had pulled both Alexis and Kate into one big group hug. Beckett wouldn't have been surprised if Martha had been blamed her for not keeping her family safe. Heck, Kate was blaming herself. But the actress wouldn't hear of it.

"Snap out of the guilt kiddo, you're not god. There's no way you could have foreseen what was going to happen. I'm just thankful that you managed to find Alexis."

The three of them are now playing the waiting game, waiting to hear of any possible news. Alexis is seated between the two women, the poor kid is practically asleep, her head resting on Kate's shoulder. It's way past Alexis' normal bedtime and the post-adrenaline drop have combined to wipe out any last reserves the child might have. Although Beckett was relieved to have found her, she's still worried because there's been no sign of Castle.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Detective Ferguson settles his bulk into the chair opposite them. "How are you doing Alexis?"

"Ok," she hides her face against Kate's side.

It hurts to see the normally outgoing child like this. Only a few hours ago Alexis would have confidently answered the man, instead she's reduced to a whispered single word reply. But then a few hours ago the girl hadn't had her sense of safety violently shattered.

"I need to ask you some questions about what happened tonight. You can take your time and think about the answers if you need to. Whatever you can remember will be very helpful." His voice is low and soothing; the detective has obviously dealt with traumatized children before. "Tell me in your own words what happened."

Alexis looks up at Kate as if looking for permission and the bodyguard gives her an encouraging nod.

"We got off the train and were walking when this car stopped right beside us. It made a really loud noise and then these men jumped out and came running at us. Daddy gave me his phone, told me to run and then he turned back and punched one of them. The other one hit Daddy with a bat and then I didn't see anything more because I was running."

"So you saw two men?"

A quick nod.

"Can you describe them?"

Alexis shakes her head mutely.

"Ok, what about the car then. What color was it?"

"White and it wasn't like a normal car, it was one of those really tall ones."

Ferguson looks confused by the description but Kate has an idea of what Alexis is trying to describe.

"Do you mean it was a van?" she asks the girl.

"Yeah, a van," Alexis confirms it with another quick nod.

"Is there anything else that you remember at all?" Ferguson coaxes her.

"No, sorry." Alexis looks deflated.

"That's ok Alexis, you did really well," he assures her. "And what about you Miss Rodgers, do you know if your son had any enemies?"

"No, everybody loves Richard. Well, other than his ex-wife that is."

The detective looks interested in that statement. "Was she unhappy about the custody arrangement?"

"No, no. She lives in California and it suits her to fly in to visit, she couldn't cope with being a full-time mother. No, Meredith is delighted with Richard having full custody and he pays her a very generous alimony. I don't believe that she has anything to do with this situation at all." Martha may not like her ex-daughter-in-law but the thought of Meredith planning all of this is preposterous.

Ferguson makes a note to check out the situation with the ex-Mrs. Castle anyway. There might be nothing in it but it pays to look regardless.

"How about you Miss Beckett, can you shed any light on the situation? Agent Sorenson has already told me how you're connected to the Castles."

"I'm sorry but I wasn't there when the abduction happened. And I didn't spot anything suspicious at all when we went to the movies earlier this afternoon. I walked home afterwards and they took the subway. I'd just got into my apartment when Alexis called."

"And what time would that have been?"

Beckett pulls out her phone and checks the call history. "Eight twelve."

The cop makes a note on his pad. "Mr. Castle must have had some concerns that something like this might happen if he employed you. Did he ever mention why he was worried? Was there someone in particular that he felt was a threat?"

Kate looks down at Alexis; the child has been terrified enough by tonight's events. Beckett doesn't want to traumatize her further by revealing that there were threats made months earlier. "Umm, is there somewhere that Alexis can lie down for a while? She's so tired that she's almost falling over."

"Of course." Ferguson can hear the unspoken request for privacy. He opens the door and grabs one of the uniforms who are nearby. "Can you show Miss Rodgers and Alexis to the break-room please?"

Martha gathers Alexis up; the child is too tired to walk on her own.

"There's a couch there," Ferguson explains. "It's a bit lumpy but I've caught a few naps on it overnight before so I know that it'll do."

"No, I want Kate to come as well," Alexis protests, fear floods back into her face.

"It's ok Alexis; you're in the middle of a police station. There are dozens of cops here, nothing bad is going to happen," Kate soothes her, stroking back the hair on her forehead. "And I won't be long. You can sleep of a while and then I'll come and we'll take you home to your own bed."

Alexis looks reluctant but she allows Martha to carry her away.

"Thanks," Kate says as soon as they're alone. "I didn't want Alexis to hear this. Castle employed me because he received some anonymous letters about four months ago. It wasn't anything overt but the tone of them was threatening, they mainly talked about Alexis. He took his concerns to Captain Hockings over at the twenty-third but they couldn't find anything about the person who sent the letters. That was when Castle hired me to protect Alexis."

"So why weren't you with them tonight?" he asks her.

It's the same question that Kate has been beating herself up with. Why wasn't she there?

"My employment with Mr. Castle finished last night actually. I'd been doing security for Alexis for three months without a hint of anything being out of place. We didn't think it was necessary to continue with it … I guess we were wrong."

"But if your job was over, why were with you with them tonight then?" Ferguson points out the discrepancy.

"Tonight was a social engagement, not a professional one."

The cop makes another notation and Beckett can help but feel defensive. Is he judging her for not recognizing the danger or for dating her former employer?

"Ok, thanks. We'll put a protective duty on Alexis and arrange a tap on the home phone line. If the kidnappers call with a ransom demand then we'll be able to trace it. How can I get hold of you if I have any more questions?" he asks.

"I'll be staying at the loft with Alexis and here's my card, it has my cell phone number on it." Beckett hasn't actually discussed any of this with Martha yet, but there's no way that she's going to entrust Alexis' safety to some cops that she doesn't know. She's already dropped the ball on this thing once and she vows it won't happen again.

* * *

Castle dreams that he's lying on the beach, his head is in Beckett's lap and she's running her fingers gently through his hair. "Mmmmm, that's nice Beckett," he moans in his sleep.

Suddenly that gentle stroking becomes a sharp tug.

"Ouch!" he wakes from his pleasant dream to nasty reality. The back of his head throbs like he got clobbered by a baseball bat, oh wait a minute, he was clobbered by a baseball bat. Instinctively his hands go up to rub at the sore spot but the chains on his wrists stop his movements. It all comes flooding back to him; the van pulling up, Alexis running and the two guys who bashed him and chucked him into the back of the vehicle before he passed out.

There's no sign of the muscle men now, just a woman standing just beyond his reach now. Maybe she was the one who was stroking his hair? Her face looks oddly familiar and he tries to figure out where he's seen her before. That's right; she's one of the women that he's seen around the park before. Her name is Melanie, Melody … it was something starting with an M.

"Melody?" he says tentatively.

"It's Megan," she hisses angrily. "I expected so much better from you Rick. I thought that we were friends. All those times that we talked at the park, I thought that we were making a connection."

"We are friends," he reassures her although it's far from the truth. He needs to get her on his side.

"I thought that you were different from all those other guys but you're not," she keeps talking as if he hadn't said thing. "We would have been happy together; you, me and Alexis. We could have been a family. Those letters I sent you were meant to show you that I could be a great mother for Alexis."

Is this what it was all about? This crazy woman had some delusions that he was interested in her?

"So they weren't meant to be threats against Alexis?"

"Of course not. I'd never harm that child. I love Alexis like she was my own and she would have been but then that woman had to come along and ruin it all."

"Who ruined it?" he asks.

"Your girlfriend, Kate Beckett," Megan spits out the name like a curse.

"She's not my girlfriend," he tries to deny it.

"Don't lie to me Rick. I saw you kissing her. But it's ok, I know it wasn't your fault. She's the one that I blame and once I get rid of her then it'll be like she never existed."

Rick can only stare in horrified silence. It was bad enough that this woman has become obsessed with him to the point of stalking but now she's threatening Kate as well and there's nothing he can do about it.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Beckett wakes up with a crick in her neck and a warm body pressed up against her side. She looks down at Alexis who appears to be sleeping comfortably. When they'd finally gotten back to the loft last night she'd put Alexis down in her bed but the child had woken up screaming only moments later. Although the girl had clearly been exhausted she couldn't go back to sleep again. The only thing that would console her was when Kate had promised to sleep in the same bed. Martha was using Kate's old room and it was either stay in Alexis' room or in Castle's bed; it felt wrong for her to sleep in his bed when he was missing. If she ever ended up there she intended to be sharing it with him.

The brunette stretched her neck, trying to ease the discomfort. Alexis' single bed was clearly not designed for an adult. There was no way that Kate could spend another night here, not if she wanted to get any kind of decent sleep. Maybe they could share Kate's bed in her old room and Martha could sleep in Castle's room if Alexis was still having problems tonight. She eases her arm out from under Alexis' head, careful not to wake the sleeping child.

Beckett creeps out of the room and eases the door shut behind her. She wants to go downstairs and find out if there's been any progress from the cops who are stationed in the study. They'd set up their phone monitoring equipment there, ready to trace the call if the kidnappers made contact.

Kate hesitates at the top of the stairs as she realizes that she's in no state to talk to anyone yet. She's wearing one of Castle's old t-shirts, she hadn't left any of her clothes behind when she'd moved out and there's been no chance to go to her apartment and pick up anything last night. Beckett didn't even have a toothbrush here; she'd had to open one of the new ones that were kept in the visitor's bathroom as a spare. At some stage she's going to have to make a trip to her apartment to grab some clothes and toiletries. For now at least, Kate will have to shower and get back into the clothes that she was wearing yesterday. Maybe then she'll be ready to face the new challenges of the day.

* * *

Freshly showered and nursing a cup of hot coffee Beckett joins the cops in the study. "I've just made a fresh pot in the kitchen, help yourselves. Cups are in the cupboard on the right," she tells them.

Ferguson nods his thanks. The man doesn't look like he's slept at all. His clothes are rumpled and his stubble has long since passed the five o'clock stage.

"Have you found anything new?" she asks him.

"No word yet from the kidnappers. We managed to catch the white van on the traffic surveillance cameras; it was headed out towards the Bronx. We lost it after five minutes though, it was like they knew where all our cameras are and to avoid those intersections. The van is registered to a carpet company based in Brooklyn. The manager reported it stolen two nights ago. It looks like a professional job, stealing a vehicle in advance and plotting their route to avoid cameras suggests pre-planning. It might be a good thing if these guys are pros because it means they will want to keep him alive, or at least until they get their money." The cop extends her the professional courtesy of not sugar-coating the facts.

Beckett nods as she processes the information. Something is not quite right with the whole situation though. If this was professional kidnapping for ransom then Castle wouldn't be the logical target, Alexis would be. It's easier to take a child rather than an adult male who could fight back. There's also the fact that Castle is the one who controls the money, how is he meant to authorize the release of funds to pay the demands when he's been taken? In addition to all of that there's also those initial letters. A pro wouldn't have given his target any kind of warning like that. It just doesn't make sense and she points all of that out to Ferguson.

The cop agrees with her observations. "Yes, some of the pieces don't fit but we don't have a better theory at the moment. We're still going to look into the possibility that Mr. Castle was targeted for some other reason but nothing has popped up so far. Everyone agrees that he doesn't really have any enemies and his financials all check out. There are no outstanding debts or business transactions that have gone sour. And for a crime writer, his fan-mail is surprisingly normal. We have to pursue the leads that we've got."

He's still talking when a scream comes from upstairs. Beckett bolts off for Alexis' room with the cop not far behind her. It takes only seconds for her to clear the room and realize that there's no immediate danger.

"Alexis, what's wrong?" she pulls the child in for a hug.

"I woke up and you were gone. I thought that you'd been taken like Daddy." Soft sobs punctuate her words.

"No, I'm right here and we're working on getting your Daddy back." Beckett gives the detective a discreet nod to say that she's got this covered and he leaves to give them some privacy. The bodyguard sits on the edge of the bed and pulls Alexis onto her lap; she can sense the girl needs this reassurance as her sobs slowly die down.

"Kate, is Daddy going to be ok? I want him home with me."

Her breath catches painfully at that plaintive cry. How can she honestly answer that question? There's no way of know what state Castle is in.

"I know Pumpkin. We all want him to get home safely. I promise you that I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that he does." The only question will be - is her best effort going to be enough?

* * *

Beckett issues Ryan with some instructions before she leaves. The bodyguard hates to leave Alexis in this situation but it's necessary. She'd had to leave her bike at the crime scene last night, there was no way that she could have transported Alexis home on the back of it. Kate also has to make a trip to her apartment to pick up some spare clothes if she's going to be staying at the loft for the foreseeable future.

""I should only be gone for a couple of hours at most. If you're concerned about anything or the cops have some news then call me immediately," Beckett tells the younger man.

"Kate! Don't go!" Alexis dashes out of her room and latches onto the woman's leg.

Martha trails behind the child. "I'm sorry but Alexis heard you were going and I couldn't stop her," the actress apologizes to the brunette. "Alexis, let go of Kate's leg. She has to leave for a little while."

"It's ok Martha." Beckett turns to Alexis. "I have to go but it's only going to be for a short time and then I'll be back. This is my friend Kevin Ryan; he's going to look after you while I'm gone."

The girl shakes her head nervously as she stares at Ryan. He's giving her an encouraging smile but she edges further behind Kate, using the woman as a barrier. Beckett gets down on one knee to put herself at the same height as Alexis.

"Are you scared?" she asks the girl.

Alexis nods slowly, never taking her eyes off the strange man.

"It's ok to be scared," Kate tells her. "But you're safe here, Kevin is going to take very good care of you and your Grams and the cops are here as well. All those people are here just to keep you safe."

"But I want you as well," Alexis still doesn't look convinced.

"I'll be back soon and Kevin here is one of the good guys," Beckett assures her. "He may look harmless but that's just a disguise. I've seen him beat guys who are twice his size."

Alexis thinks about that for a second – a disguise and superhuman abilities. "Is he like a superhero?" she whispers in Kate's ear, half-afraid that Ryan's super powers extended to extra keen hearing.

"Yes but he's more like Hawkeye rather than Thor." Beckett puts the child's hand into Ryan's much larger one.

Alexis reluctantly lets go of Kate. "You'll hurry back though won't you?"

Kate kisses her head. "As quick as I can."

* * *

Beckett pushes out the kickstand on her motorcycle and eases the heavy machine over to one side; she pulls off her bike helmet and shakes her hair free. The helmet is balanced under one arm as she hops off the bike and pulls the keys out of the ignition. Although the weather is cool it was still quite hot underneath all of her bike leathers and she pulls the jacket open slightly in order to cool off.

That's when she hears the sound of footsteps echoing in the underground car-park where she normally keeps her bike. Kate casually checks the reflection in the mirror on her bike. It's a man, brown hair, six foot tall and medium build, in his thirties who looks to be talking on the phone and paying no attention to her at all. He's probably coming back to his own car but there's something about him that is sending all her alarms ringing.

This level is reserved for long-term parking leases and she's been using this building for four years now. She might not recognize everyone who leaves their car here but she's on nodding terms with a good proportion of them and this guy doesn't look familiar. Beckett tries to ease her jacket open even further in order to get access to her gun but he suddenly rushes her from behind. If she hadn't been looking in her mirror then he would have knocked her out without any warning, but instead he's the one who's surprised when she ducks under his swinging arm and sends him flying with a kick in the back. He staggers for a few feet before spinning around and comes charging back at her.

Beckett moves lightly on her feet, dancing out of his path at the last minute. This guy is taller and heavier than her and he has the advantage of a longer reach but Kate's used to sparring with opponents who can claim all that. She's learnt to be smarter and faster in order to take them down. He approaches her more cautiously the third time, there's grudging respect in his eyes at her skills. He tries to fake her out with a few half-hearted right jabs but she doesn't fall for it, staying well clear of the left hook that threatens if she let her guard down.

The bodyguard can tell that he's getting frustrated and that's good. If she can get him angry then he's more likely to make a mistake and that's when she'll make her move. The man punches out high and follows through with a low kick. Beckett blocks the punch and manages to avoid the kick completely, sending her elbow into his back as she spins away.

"Stay still you bitch," he growls but Beckett laughs and it enrages him even further. He unleashes a flurry of punches that look good but it's sloppy work, there's no focus or precision as his emotions overtake any training. Kate smiles because this is exactly what she was hoping for. As he tries to go for an uppercut to her body she pivots behind his back, grabbing his arm and using it as a fulcrum while she sweeps his feet out from under him.

He lands face first on the ground and she's on him before he has a chance to even get up. Her whole weight is pressing him down through the knee that she has on his back and she pulls one of his arms up and twists it behind him, any move on his part would cause his shoulder to dislocate.

"Where is he?" Beckett demands. "Tell me where he is."

"I don't know what you're talking about bitch," the man tries to bluff.

The bodyguard is in no mood for stalling and she twists his arm further.

"Arghhhh! Ok, ok, I'll tell you but please just ease up," he begs her, his back arching as he tries to relieve the pain.

She relaxes the pressure and his body sags in relief.

"He's in New Canaan, I can show you exactly where he is."

"He'd better be ok or you're going to regret it," Beckett growls.

"No you're going to be the one who regrets it, now get off my friend. You're worth more to us alive but we'll still get paid if you're dead so don't shout for help or do anything stupid. " It's a second man who has snuck up on her as she was dealing with the first assailant. The gun that he has pressed into the back of her head leaves no room for bravery, at point blank range it would be suicide not to obey.

Beckett lifts her hands slowly and gets up onto her feet. She's barely upright when the second man pistol whips her and she goes down like a sack. She's already unconscious as she hits the ground.

"Come on, give me a hand with her," the second man says. The pair work together to haul Kate's body into the trunk of the dark sedan. She's unaware of the handcuffs that are slapped around her wrists or the duct tape that covers her mouth and then the trunk is slammed shut and the darkness is complete.

* * *

"What would you do to see your daughter again?" Megan asks the writer. She hasn't spoken to him again since last night although he's been aware of her checking in on him through the grille in the door. The deranged woman has ignored all his attempts to bargain or reason with her. The only interactions have been when she came with a tray of food and a bucket that was left in the corner.

"I'd do anything Megan." He deliberately uses her name, trying to build a rapport with her. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. It doesn't have to be like this, you could just let me go."

"I'll let you go Rick but first you have to do something for me." She opens the door and then steps to the side so that he can see into the next room.

His heart stops at the sight that he encounters. It's Kate; she's cuffed to a railing and sitting in a bathtub full of water. Oh god no, they've got Kate as well.

"You can go Rick as soon as you kill Kate Beckett for me."

**A/N: for Cora Clavia who left a suggestion that the Avengers should come to the rescue.  
**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Get up," Megan motions with the gun in her hand for Castle to get to his feet. She tosses him a set of keys and he manages to catch them despite the chains around his wrists which tether him to the wall. "You can free yourself but don't even think of trying anything funny. One wrong move and I'll shoot her," Megan warns him. The kidnapper has positioned herself on the far side of Beckett, there's no way that he can get to that gun without the bodyguard getting hit.

Rick slips the key into the lock and frees each wrist sequentially. "What now?" he asks.

"Now you kill her of course," Megan says it as if it were plainly obvious.

"Ok," Rick agrees easily. "Just give me the gun and I'll do it." The writer holds out his hand as he plays along with Megan's delusion.

"Tch, tch, tch," Megan wags her finger like she's reprimanding a naughty child. "You have to prove yourself first before I can trust you; no gun. You can do it with your bare hands; that's why I had her put into the tub of water, to make it easier for you. Just drown her, go on then."

Rick walks over to the tub slowly, desperately trying to come up with some sort of plan. He stares down at Beckett but the bodyguard isn't in a position to help. Gagged and handcuffed to a solid iron railing, the only thing she can do is observe the scene unfolding with wide-eyed trepidation.

There is no way he can disarm Megan, she's too far away for him to lunge at her before she'd get a shot off and at this range it would be fatal. But there's no way he can fulfill her demands, maybe he can try reasoning with her again.

"I can't kill Beckett," he shakes his head. "I can write about murder but I can't commit it. Please, just let us go."

"Yes you will. You'll do it right now!" Megan's voice gets progressively louder as she becomes more agitated. "It's all her fault and she has to pay. She's the one who lead you astray and the only way for you to be redeemed is if she dies by your hand."

"I won't do it," he refuses.

"If you don't kill her then I'll shoot you," Megan threatens him.

He doesn't think that Megan intends for either him or Beckett to make it out of this alive, if that's the case then he refuses to be the direct agent of Kate's death.

"You can shoot me but I'm not going to drown her."

"I understand; it's just that you're such a gentle soul. You need to work up to it. I'll make you a deal Rick. I'm going to let you get used to the idea first. You don't have to kill her just yet but I want you to hold her under the water for a minute. I'll let you get desensitized to the sensation of her fighting and thrashing under your hands, the life draining out of her."

"You're crazy if you think that I'll even agree to that. It's not like trying to get over a spider phobia; gradual exposure is not going to make me agreeable to drowning her."

"I'm not crazy! Don't you dare call me crazy!" Megan shouts at him.

He may have just signed his own death warrant. There's a tense moment as Megan raises her gun to aim at him and Castle braces himself for the impact of the bullet. He lowers his gaze to meet Beckett's, if he's going to die then at least he can go with her face being the last thing that he sees.

Kate is screaming at him from behind the duct tape on her mouth. The noise that comes out is unintelligible but the message is clear.

_Don't you dare do this. Don't just stand there and let her shoot you. Don't take a bullet for me._

"Shh, shh, it's ok Beckett," he tells her, ignoring the woman with the gun completely. He's made his peace with the decision.

The sound of the gun firing is incredibly loud and although he's expecting it, Rick can't help but flinch, crumpling in on himself instinctively.

The first thing that he notices is the lack of pain. If you get shot then there should be pain, shouldn't there? Unless, of course, the bullet caused instant death. Castle pats his hands down his body, it doesn't feel like he's dead and there's no blood. How could Megan have missed from that range? The writer raises his head cautiously.

"That was a warning shot Rick. I don't want to hurt you but I'm not fooling around here, the next shot will hit you," Megan says, her face is contorted into an angry snarl at being thwarted.

"No Megan." He remains adamant. "I don't think that you want to hurt me, just put the gun down and let's talk."

"You're right Rick, I don't want to hurt you." Megan moves her arm so that the gun is no longer pointing at him, she shifts it to point at the bodyguard instead. "But I have no compunctions about hurting her."

"No!" He dives to cover Beckett but it's too late.

The gun barks again and this time Beckett is the one who jerks. Even behind the duct tape the sound of her scream is piercing. The water is instantly stained pink by blood and Rick drops to his knees next to the wounded brunette. His hands reaching out to staunch the bleeding from her upper arm.

"If you won't do it then I'll shoot her again. This one was just a flesh wound but I'll make the next one a gut shot. Do you know how long it takes someone to die from a bullet to the abdomen? If it doesn't hit a major vessel and they don't bleed out then they can last for days. It's a slow, painful death as the body shuts down in the face of overwhelming infection. The person literally dies covered in their own filth."

Castle listens with horror as Megan explains in graphic detail exactly how Beckett will die.

"Either you hold her under the water for a minute or I'll shoot her and let her linger and suffer for as long as it takes. And don't think about playing the hero. I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to. And once you're gone then I promise you that I'll make her pay for it."

The writer clenches his fists in anger at the absolutely impossible choice that he faces. No matter what he does, Megan is determined to torture Kate. Rick can't believe that he is even considering it but it's only a minute; he won't let himself even think about how long it will be the next time.

"Kate, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Rick whispers the words over and over again like a chant. His hands come to rest gently on her shoulders and she doesn't resist as he pushes her down into the tepid water. She keeps her eyes open and on his as her face submerges below the surface, forgiveness and understanding radiating from the brown pools.

"Ten. Twenty. Thirty." Megan counts down the time in ten second intervals.

For the first forty seconds the water remains calm as Beckett wills herself to stay still, his hands are resting on her body rather than exerting any pressure to keep her under. The only ripples come from the bubbles that break the surface as her lungs slowly release their horde of precious air.

Slowly though her muscles start to tense up, and the panic sets in as the oxygen debt builds up. Her lungs are starting to burn now, demanding that she break this unnatural pause, her body wants oxygen and it wants it now. Her mind can no longer maintain discipline over the needs of her unruly body and with a splash she starts thrashing.

Castle immediately pulls her up and out of the water at the first sign of struggling. He thought he could do it but he couldn't even last a minute. Even if it means that they both share a horrible death he can't do it. Rick hugs her even as Beckett takes deep racking breaths, her ribs and diaphragm working like bellows as she hyperventilates, sucking in that precious air. His hand strokes back her wet hair even as the other arm holds her close. Any second now he's expecting Megan to shoot them both and he can only hope that it's a quick death.

"That was not good enough Rick. You didn't make it to a minute," Megan's voice is almost dispassionate now compared to her earlier anger. "Next time it will be ninety seconds." She walks out the room, locking them in behind her.

Beckett and Castle both sag in relief, they can't believe that they're still alive. Megan has spared them for now but neither of them are foolish enough to believe that this is a permanent thing.

Rick carefully peels the duct tape off her mouth but it still takes some skin with it and Beckett can't help the wince that escapes her.

"I'm so sorry Kate," he apologizes once more.

"It's ok, not that I ever want to go through that again."

"How about your arm?"

Beckett moves it easily. "She was right, it was just a flesh wound. It stings but it's not serious. Can you tear off a piece of my shirt to use as a pad? You can use the duct tape to hold it in place and that should stop the bleeding."

He rips off the damaged sleeve and improvises a bandage with it.

"Now what?" he asks.

"We need to get out of here before she comes back. There's also the two men that she's hired, they dumped me here and I think that they're still around."

"So what do we do?" he looks to her for a plan. "You can bet that the door is locked and that's a solid bar that you're attached to."

"I don't know how I'm going to get out of this tub, let alone out of this room." Beckett rattles her handcuffs against the railing. It's an old-fashioned claw foot bathtub made of cast iron and the railing is part of the mould. It's one single sold piece of metal with no obvious weak points as far as she can tell.

"Can you slip your hand out of the cuffs?" he asks.

Beckett gives it a try even though she knows that it's futile; the cuffs are far too tight.

"No, it's no use," she says. "You should concentrate on finding a way out of this room, there's no telling when Megan might come back."

"There's no point in looking for a way out if you're still attached to a ton of metal. It's not like we'll get very far if you have to carry that tub with you."

Kate shakes her head at his incomprehension. "I'm not sure that I'm going to get out of here. You're not cuffed so you stand a better chance of making a break for it on your own.

"I'm not leaving here without you. Maybe if I squeeze your hand and pull off the cuff at the same time we might be able to …"

"Castle!" the bodyguard interrupts him. "That's very sweet Castle but stupid as well. Alexis needs you so if you get the chance then I want you to run. Promise me that you'll take the opportunity if it presents itself, promise me that you won't stay for my sake."

His face takes on a mulish look but Beckett persists.

"If you can escape then maybe you can bring back help for me, there's no point in giving that mad woman two martyrs. Promise me Castle," she demands.

"I'm not leaving you behind so don't waste this precious time trying to change my mind. I'm just like a marine, _Semper Fidelis_." He glares back at Beckett, she may stubborn but he can match her on this point.

Kate opens her mouth to argue but shuts it again without saying a word. Castle's loyalty is one of his defining characteristics, he's like a cocker spaniel – faithful to the end.

"Good." Rick knows that he's won that argument. "Now let's figure out how to get you out of these cuffs."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"If I could just find a couple of hair pins then I'm sure that I could pick the lock on those handcuffs. I learnt how to do it as research for one of my Derek Storm novels." Castle rummages through the medicine cabinet; there's a packet of cotton buds and half a bottle of mouth wash but nothing that he can use. He gives up on the cabinet and moves onto the drawers under the hand-basin.

"Ah ha!" He holds up a traveler's sewing kit, it's the kind that you get as a complimentary gift in some hotels. The writer pulls apart the cardboard wrapping to reveal a small selection of threads and a single needle. "Damn it. There's only one needle," he says with disappointment. In order to pick the lock he needs two implements; one to depress the tumblers in the lock and the other to act as a torsion wrench in order to turn it at the same time.

"Is there anything else that you could use?" Beckett asks. She finds it more than frustrating that she can't help in the search but being bound to the bath she can do little more than offer suggestions.

"No, I've checked everywhere else, this is it. Seriously, what kind of person doesn't have hair pins in their bathroom?" he grumbles. It's frustrating how close they are to freeing the bodyguard from the tub; he just needs one more thing.

"How about your pockets? Maybe there's something there that you'd forgotten about."

He pats himself down, digging his fingers into the very bottom of his pockets but there's nothing.

"Check mine as well." Beckett kneels in the water so that Castle can get to the pocket of her jeans. He'll have to do it because her hands are cuffed together.

Rick puts his hand in and pulls the material out, turning the front pockets inside out. He does it quickly but she's very aware of how close his fingers are to her inner thigh. Sure they had been on a path that, hopefully, would have led to much more intimate touching than this but they weren't at that stage yet. And this is definitely not the kind of romantic setting that she was hoping for.

"Sorry," he apologizes when she flinches involuntarily. The faint blush on his cheeks makes it clear what he apologizing for; they've both acutely aware of exactly where his fingers have been.

"Just hurry up and check the out the back ones as well," she mumbles.

It's even worse when he checks the back pockets, it feels like he's rubbing her ass but she deliberately ignores the sensation.

"Anything?"

"No," he confirms what she was expecting but it's still a disappointment, she was hoping for a last-minute miracle.

The brunette slumps back into the water, her wet clothes feel heavy and cling uncomfortably to her skin. She wriggles a little bit, trying to find a more comfortable position but only manages to dig her bra into her side for her efforts.

Wait a minute she thinks as inspiration strikes.

"Castle," she says urgently, "I need you to undo my bra."

"Beckett, I don't think that this is the time for that kind of thing," he squeaks, a surprised look on his face at her comment.

"No Castle, I don't mean that. I want you to undo my bra so that you can get to the underwire. It's wider than the needle but you could still use it as a torsion wrench for lock picking," Beckett explains.

"Oh right, of course." The writer reaches behind her and slips his hands under the soft cotton of her shirt. He feels like he's all thumbs as he fumbles with the clasp.

Concentrate on the task at hand. This isn't the first bra that you've undone, he admonishes himself.

Easy to say but harder to do, especially with the silky feel of Kate's skin under his fingers.

"This would be a lot easier if you had Velcro instead of these little metal catches." He tugs but the hook is snagged up in the material and refuses to budge.

"I'll be sure to mention it to the people at _La Perla_, I'm sure that Velcro bras will be the latest trend next season," Beckett says sarcastically.

So Kate Beckett is a _La Perla _kind of girl, he files away that little fact in his memory, hopefully he'll get a chance to do something with it in the future.

Castle tugs again at the hook and finally it's free. He unbuttons the front of her shirt now to get at the underwire. The loosened lace cups gape forward and the writer gets a tempting glimpse of the flesh underneath.

"Oh," the sound escapes him and his guilty eyes dart up to meet hers. "I didn't see anything!" he says but of course he did. "Sorry," he mumbles.

Beckett raises an eyebrow at his apology, he almost sounds embarrassed which she finds endearing. "Just hurry up Castle. You can look all you want once we make it out of this alive."

"Really?" His eyebrows are raised almost up to his hairline; he's so surprised by her offer. Did Kate Beckett just say that he could stare at her naked breasts later?

"Focus Castle," the brunette snaps her fingers to get his attention.

"Yes of course." He shakes his head to clear the haze in his brain, refocusing his attention on the problem they're facing now. The underwire is sewn into the material and it takes a bit of brute strength to poke a hole in the fabric and free it. "Ok, now I need to pick this lock."

He bends his head over the handcuffs, a little frown on his face and eyes narrowed as he concentrates on manipulating his improvised lock picks through the finicky process. There are a couple of near hits and each time it fails he mutters a curse under his breath. It takes fifteen minutes but he eventually manages to turn the lock. "Yes!" There's an accompanying fist pump to celebrate his success.

"Thank you Castle," Kate slips the steel under the railing and suddenly she's free, the remaining cuff dangling down from her left wrist like some kind of chunky bracelet. She steps out of the tub, making a mess as water splashes onto the tiled floor. She feels stupid for doing it but she refastens her bra. It doesn't sit right without the underwire but at least she doesn't feel like her breasts are just hanging out there, swinging in the breeze.

"What do we do now?" Rick asks her.

The bodyguard stares at the door as she weighs up the options. The only window in the room has opaque, frosted glass so they can't see out and it doesn't open. It's far too small for an adult to crawl through so their only way out is the locked door. Castle could probably pick that lock as well but there's no way of knowing what awaits them on the other side of that door. Their captors could be in the next room or they could have left the building altogether. The only other option would be to stay here and try to overpower the next person who comes through that door. They've got no weapons though and they're up against potentially three armed assailants, she doesn't like those odds at all.

"Did you get a glimpse of the layout of this place?" she asks him. "I was blindfolded when they brought me in here."

Castle shakes his head, "I was unconscious and woke up in the room across the hall. I saw a corridor heading off the left when Megan brought me into this room and there were some stairs going up to the right but it was only a brief glimpse. It wasn't a long corridor; it looks more like a private residence rather than a commercial building. But other than that I couldn't give you any more information."

Stay or go?

"See if you can get that door open," Beckett says to the writer; she prays that she's made the right decision because their lives are dependant on this.

"Ok." Castle kneels down at the door, needle in one hand and the underwire in the other. He's barely inserted the instruments into the lock when the faint sound of footsteps can be heard on the other side of the door. "Someone's coming," he whispers, looking up at her with panicked eyes.

Beckett pulls him to his feet and onto the other side of her so that he's furthest from the door. She flattens herself against the wall and now all they can do is wait. The soft sound of a key turning in the lock can be heard in the silent room and then the door swings open.

The bodyguard doesn't wait for the person to fully enter the room before she acts. She uses a sharp karate chop at the hand holding a gun and the weapon drops to the floor with a metallic clack. Rick scrambles after it as it slides along the wet tiles but Beckett's attention is still on the person who had been carrying the gun.

"Ouch! What the … oof," Megan never gets to finish the shout because the brunette comes at her with a shoulder charge, slamming her into the wall and knocking the breath out of her. Beckett follows it up with a stunning elbow to the temple and the other woman drops into an unconscious heap at her feet.

"Megan! What's going on?" a voice calls out from somewhere else in the building; the noise from the fight has drawn the attention of the gunmen.

That's not good; they need to get out of here now.

"Come on Castle, we have to go now!"

"Here," he slaps the recovered gun into her hand even as she pushes him in a direction away from the noise of the approaching men.

They race along to the end of the hall and then break sharply right into large room. It looks like an old farmhouse kitchen, complete with a pot-belly stove in the corner. They have to weave around the furniture, Castle is going too fast and clips his knee against the table leg, almost stumbling to the ground but her hand on the back of his shirt pulls him up and urges him on.

They're out the back door and Castle heads for the SUV that is parked fifty yards away but Kate pulls him back. There's no cover in that direction, just flat lawn, and they would have to be exceptionally lucky to find the keys inside the car. There's no way they can hotwire that car before the gunmen are on them.

"Towards the trees!" she shouts, the forest creeps up within one hundred yards of the house. If they can make it there then they have a better chance of hiding and escaping.

It's the fastest one hundred yard sprint of his life, he feels like his lungs are burning as he makes it to the relative safety of the trees. A tuft of dirt explodes as a bullet hits the ground only a few feet to his right and he weaves to the left with fright. Branches are whipping into his face as Castle barrels deeper into the undergrowth but he pays them no attention, the adrenaline is urging him to keep running and ignore the pain.

Beckett is only just behind him, her arms pumping as she runs flat tack. The next bullet comes even closer and she swears she could feel it go whistling past her to slam into the tree just in front. She chances a glance back.

Damn it, their chasers seem to be gaining ground. She needs to give those men a reason to slow down.

The bodyguard dodges right and sudden drops down behind the trunk of a large tree. She turns and braces her shoulder against the bark, panting as she regains her breath. Her first shot goes too wide, missing the first man by about a foot but it's enough to make him cautious. He drops behind a rock and fires a couple of wild shots in her direction. Beckett keeps her nerve, staying still and waiting for him to expose himself. The gun she's carrying is a Sig Saur P220, it has an eight round mag and she's already fired one shot. At most, she's only got another seven bullets left and she means to make the most of them, she just needs a target to aim for. At least now she's got a relative advantage of having all the trees for cover while the chasers are out on exposed ground.

The second man comes running through, trying to flank around to Beckett's left. He's less cautious than his friend and her next shot hits him high on the shoulder. Even from eight yards away she's sure that she got him. It's not a kill shot but by the sounds of his scream it's a painful one. Good, she's pleased that he's injured and not dead. Dead would mean that his friend would keep coming after them, but now he has to give assistance to his wounded companion and that should buy them some time. Kate creeps off, staying hunched over and almost spider crawling until she's made another ten yards into the scrub before she starts running again.

* * *

It feels like he's run a mile but it's probably only four hundred yards, before Castle realizes that Beckett isn't behind him anymore. She was just behind him a minute ago and now she's gone. He pauses in indecision, looking back to the left and right to see where she might be. Did they get separated in the confusion? He can't see her and he starts imagining the worst. Is she laying somewhere back there, bleeding out on the forest floor?

There's the sound of more gunshots in the distance and then a scream. His heart stutters as he pictures her taking a hit. The writer starts running back in the direction of the farmhouse when a smaller figure collides into him. They're both knocked to the ground, landing with a bone shuddering thump.

"Castle?" Beckett hisses as she pushes herself back to her feet and then pulls him up as well. "What were you doing, just standing there? Keep running."

"Kate! You're ok." There's overwhelming joy and he can't help but pull her in for a brief hug.

"I won't be in a second if we don't keep running." Beckett shoves him back. "Now go."

And then they're both off again at neck breaking speed as they run deeper into the relative safety of the forest.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**A/N: I hope that you think that this chapter was worth the wait. Sorry, I seem to be getting worse not better in terms of posting new chapters. To make up for it there is a extra M rated version of this chapter which I have posted as a separate story for those of you who are 18+.**

They keep running for another forty minutes before Kate finally lets them pause again. She keeps checking over her shoulder for any signs of pursuit but there's only empty forest behind them. Castle is hunched over, palms resting on his thighs as he sucks in air. He feels like he's about to have a heart attack whilst Beckett barely looks winded, she's a freaking machine. If they survive then he vows to take up running as a new hobby.

"Do you think that we've lost them?" he gasps.

"Yes, for now at least," her eyes keep scanning the trees. "I'm not sure how badly wounded that guy is, hopefully it's bad enough to take him out of the hunt. But once they've had a chance to regroup they might come after us again."

"Do you think that they will? Maybe they'll just give up," he says hopefully.

"We know what they look like and I saw the license plate on their car. With that kind of information the police would be able to track them down. If those guys are professionals then they won't want to run, it would mean having to establish themselves again somewhere new. If they can then they'll want the chance to either finish us off or get some kind of leverage to keep us quiet."

"Leverage? Oh god, they won't come after Alexis, will they?" He's terrified by the thought.

"No, Alexis is safe. It would be too risky for them to try to snatch her now. There are cops camped out in your study to intercept any phone calls and I've got Ryan staying with her as well. Alexis will be fine," the bodyguard reaches out and squeezes his hand reassuringly.

"Thank you Beckett," he says with gratitude. "No matter what happens now, thank you for that."

"It's ok Castle, I love her as well." There's a moment of silence and then Beckett says, "If you've recovered then we should get going again."

"I don't think that I can run anymore, my legs feel like jelly," the writer confesses.

"We'll keep it to a brisk walk then; save your energy just in case." She doesn't have to specify what that emergency might be.

"How is your arm doing?" he asks her.

Beckett looks down at the makeshift bandage covering the wound. She flexes her bicep slightly and the blood-encrusted material pulls at the edges of laceration, aggravating the continuous throbbing pain. At least it no longer looks like it's bleeding though, all that blood is old.

"It hurts like a bitch but I'll survive. The sooner we get to safety the sooner I can get it looked at."

"Which way should we go then?" He looks around at the forest; they have no idea where they are. Up until now they've been running away from their captors but now they also have to think about heading towards help. They could just as easily die from exposure and cold as from a gunshot.

"Let's keep heading east. If we're lucky then we'll hit a road at some stage, at worst we'll keep going until we get to the sea," she says with fatalistic humor.

* * *

They've been walking for two hours with no sign to indicate they're any closer to help. There's been no sign of pursuit but there's also been no sign of civilization either. The light is starting to fade and the slight warmth provided by the winter sun is also fading as it retreats below the horizon

Castle glances over at the bodyguard, it's the second time that he's seen her shivering and that's a worry. Her clothes are still a bit damp from her involuntary dip in the water and she's only going to get colder once night falls and they have to stop. Continuing to walk through the night is not an option. A modern city is never completely dark at night; the ambient background light from vehicles, streetlights and buildings always provides at least a dim glow. Here in the country though it could truly be pitch-black at night and they can't take the risk of stumbling around on uneven ground. The only upside is that their pursuers will also be forced to stop for the night.

"Beckett, do you think that we should start looking for some shelter for the night?"

She looks pensively at the darkening sky. "That's a good idea. Let's keep going for another thirty minutes and keep your eyes peeled for anything that looks promising. If we don't find something suitable by that time then we'll just stop wherever we are and try to make some kind of crude shelter with whatever is lying around."

* * *

"Hey, look over there."

He spots it first; they were just about to give up hope when Castle sees something in the distance. Five more minutes and it would have been too dark and they would have missed it completely. The dark greens and brown of the walls help it blend into the surrounding forest but the straight lines and right-angle corners mark it as something man-made. It's a small, squat construction, designed as cover for hunters. The duck blind has slots cut into the wall to allow the hunters to sight their prey so it won't be much warmer inside compared to the outside temperature. But it has a roof and it'll keep them out of the worst of the wind and any rain that might threaten.

"Well spotted Castle. I would have missed it," Beckett admits with grateful smile. Not only has he found shelter but it's a good indication that some sort of road can't be too far away. "Whoever put the blind there wouldn't have wanted to carry it a long distance from some sort of vehicular access," she says. "It's getting too dark to search for the path tonight but we can start looking in the morning." Her spirits lift at the lucky break that they've been granted, it might turn out to be just a forestry track accessible by four-wheel drive but eventually it must link with a real road.

They have to scramble over a river and up the other side of the bank to get to it, soaking their clothes up to the thighs. She pauses in the middle of the river and leans down, cupping her hands in the water and then drinking deeply. The water seems clear enough and she's lost a lot of fluid with all the running and walking that they've done, with no way of boiling their water this will have to do. Castle follows her example, knowing that they can survive several days without food but dehydration will kill them a lot faster.

When he's had enough he continues on, his shoes are sodden and every step he takes squishes water out of the seams. The expensive Italian leather was never designed for anything but a concrete jungle and the soles almost slide a couple of times on the slippery river rocks. Her hand on his elbow steadies him when he threatens to go face-first into the water.

"Thanks," he murmurs and then carries on.

There's a six-foot embankment on the other side, a slab of fractured granite with few foot holds and only some dubious tree roots to hold on to.

"Give me a boost up and then I'll give you a hand." Beckett gives the tree root a tug, testing it before she commits her weight to it. Castle puts his hands on her waist and lifts her up, the extra push allowing her to scrabble up the last few feet. She pauses at the edge and leans down to offer him her good arm, helping to pulling him up.

Rick practically falls into her as he gains the ledge, flattening her below him with a loud oomph.

"Sorry. Are you ok?" he asks as he rolls off her quickly, although not so quickly that he can't appreciate the slim body below his.

"If this was the vault event at the Olympics then I'd only score you a 1 for the dismount," her dry humor indicating that she was unharmed.

"Ok, gymnastics and running are going to get added to my fitness regime," Rick gets to his feet and offers her a hand to get up and they walk the last few yards to the shelter.

The duck blind is unlocked, there's only a simple latch on the door to keep the wildlife out. Kate pauses by the door to take off her shoes, not wanting to track mud into what will be their bed for the night, and Rick follows her example. The inside of the building reveals an eight by four feet wooden floor and two folding chairs. The only useful thing that they find is an old woolen army surplus blanket.

"You should take it," he holds out the blanket to her. "You'll get cold if you sleep in those wet clothes. I'll just …" he makes a motion as he turns his back to give her some privacy.

"Rick," Kate puts her hand on his shoulder, startling him.

He glances back at her; she's still holding the blanket in one hand, having made no effort to get undressed yet. He raises a questioning brow at her.

"Your clothes are wet as well," she looks down at his trousers that are dark from the water of the river. "The blanket is wide enough that we can share it and combining body heat is the sensible thing to do."

Sharing body heat might be sensible but he's not sure that it's smart, maybe she hasn't thought through all the implications. She might be able to sleep next to him half naked but he won't be able to get any rest.

"Umm Kate I think …" he gulps. It's not like him to be tongue-tied; he's a writer for goodness sake. But he's having problems forming a coherent sentence at the moment. How is he going to admit to her that his self-control is not that good? He can feel himself hardening already just at the thought. He looks around helplessly as he tries to come up with a convincing excuse. "Maybe I should stay dressed. What if those guys get the drop on us? I think I'd be able to fight a lot better with my trousers on."

Beckett can't help the smile that crosses her face at the desperation on his face. She's well aware of the dilemma that faces him and it's cute that he's trying so hard. Kate would never have imagined this scenario; Rick Castle is being the gallant gentleman while she is the one who is making all the advances.

"It's too dark now for them to track us now. They'll have to give up for the night. We're safe until morning," she tells him. "Now shut up Rick." After all the stress that they've had to go through she needs this, she needs him; something life-affirming to chase back the fear of almost losing everything.

She reaches up and cups his jaw, her fingers rubbing along his scratchy stubble, sliding along the corner of his mouth and over surprising softness of his lips. She pauses there for a second as she looks up into his startled blue eyes and then slowly leans in.

He's as still as a statue, too afraid to even breathe in case this is a dream and the slightest movement will break the trance. It's only when their lips finally meet and her warm tongue delves into his mouth that he finally moves. His hands circle her waist pulling her closer and almost tipping them both off balance, he takes a half step backwards, his back hitting the wall of the shelter.

He's kissed her two times before and each time it just seems to get better. Maybe it's the urgency of having survived the threat that adds an extra piquancy to the passionate meeting of lips. The dark, rich taste of her mouth is so right; it feels like he just can't get enough. From the sound of the little moans that she's making, Kate must feel the same way.

She slides one hand between them so that she can unbutton his shirt, her fingers clumsy with haste. Beckett reaches up to push both his jacket and shirt off his shoulders and he reluctantly pulls back from their kiss in order to give her the room to do it.

His hands are busy as well, sliding under her top to tackle her bra catch for the second time that day.

"I'm seriously getting you a bra with Velcro fastenings," he swears when he can't get it undone quickly enough.

Beckett reaches up behind herself and undoes the catch with one hand to his amazement.

"You seriously need to teach me how to do that one-handed trick," he says with awe.

"Later," Kate promises as she pulls her top over her head and then lets her unfastened bra fall down over her arms. "Much later."

* * *

Her head lies pillowed on his chest, the brunette reaches over to tug the blanket over their cooling bodies as he rests a possessive arm over the sensitive skin of her bare back.

Beckett presses a kiss over his heart, content to soak in the lingering pleasure. His heartbeat is a reassuring steady thump under her ear and for the moment everything is right in her world.

"I was scared that we'd never get a chance to do this, that I'd never get to be with you," she confesses in a soft whisper her secret fear. "When I got that phone call from Alexis and we found her but you were still missing I was so frightened. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Hey it's ok Kate. I'm here. We're here together." He presses a kiss into her hair as his arm tightens reassuringly around her.

"Yeah but we almost lost that chance. All that time while we were living together and I kept trying to put distance between us. I was so stupid."

"You're not stupid, just cautious. And I don't blame you; I didn't exactly make a good impression when we first met."

"That's true. I thought that you were a pretentious, shallow playboy that first day."

"Hey, no need to go overboard on the praise," he protests.

"Luckily I was wrong."

"See, I knew that you'd eventually give in to my rugged handsomeness and charm."

Even in the dark she can tell that he's grinning as he says that.

"I'm not sure that it was so much giving in as using you for your body," she says with dry humor. It feels good to banter with him like this, although their relationship may have changed some things remain the same.

"Well in that case feel free to use me again." He rolls her over so that she's pinned under him now, her thighs spreading wide to cradle him and then there's no more words as he pushes into her again and the world falls away.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The raindrops splatter against the tin roof with an annoyingly loud clatter. Beckett shifts restlessly under the blanket as her body clings stubbornly to sleep, unwilling to let consciousness claim her. It's warm and cozy in this cocoon that they've created and the outside world is cold and wet. Still loose and lazy with sleep Kate inches back a bit, burrowing into the warm, living blanket that is curled around her.

A heavy arm around her waist tightens and a light snore tickles against her ear. The bodyguard is jerked awake by those unexpected sensations, her eyes flash open but it's completely dark and she has no idea where she is. Panic threatens for a second as Beckett finds herself in this unfamiliar place, her body tenses like a sprinter on the start line who is ready to bolt. But then a soothing scent hits her nose, a mixture of aftershave and the soap that he uses.

_Castle._

The brunette inhales deeply, drawing in his essence and her body relaxing. It's nice to just lay here and enjoy the different textures of his body pressed against hers. One of his thighs is wedge between hers and she shifts her foot, sliding it up and down against the scratchy hair on his legs. Her hand comes down to rest over his, hugging his arm into her abdomen as his fingers splay over her belly button. She wished that she could have seen the look on his face when he discovered her belly button ring last night. From the amount of time that he spent licking her abdomen and playfully biting the skin around that piece of jewelry it would be fair to say that he has developed a fetish about it.

Her lips twist up into a small smile as the events of last night come flooding back. It's not the sex that has her smiling, although the sex was spectacular, but rather the commitment that it represents. It was about more than just scratching an itch, it meant something, she's sure of that. Or at least she's sure that it meant something significant for her.

Beckett shakes her head, refusing to talk herself into a neurotic spiral of doubt. This is Castle after all. He's the man who brings her coffee every day to make her smile, who sat by her side as she waited at the hospital for her father to come out of surgery. He's proved himself in a million and one ways so she's going to take that leap of faith, dive into the abyss and trust that he'll be ready to catch her. This time she's not going to play it safe with one foot out the door because something tells her that he's _the one._

It's not that she's deluded enough to believe that he's perfect, far from it. He can be intrusive; look at the way he ignored all her personal boundaries, pushing his way past her careful barricades. She gets frustrated by the way he uses his CIA conspiracy theory as an explanation for so many things instead of accepting the far more logical but prosaic reasons. And he persists in being ridiculously childish; she still can't believe that she let him talk her into trying his smorelettes, those chocolate omelets were truly a cuisine felony.

No, he's not perfect but then neither is she. Somehow his faults mesh so well with all her ragged and broken edges. She needs someone who is intrusive, who won't let her hide behind the wall that she's erected around herself. Her life has been so stark and concrete since her mother's death that she'd lost the ability to be fanciful sometimes. What she saw as immaturity at first is really just his talent for finding unlimited joy in the most unexpected things and when she's with him, he infects her with that same gift.

_Oh god, she's so sappy._

Kate resists the urge to slap her forehead; she can't believe that she's laying here mooning over him. He's making her feel like a kid with her first crush. Kate shifts over onto her back, wincing slightly at the ache between her legs, a sensory reminder of their not-so-innocent activities last night. Ok, so sometimes he makes her feel more like a teenager with all her hormones raging rather than the innocence of pre-pubescent love.

Her vision is adapting to the pre-dawn gloom and she can make out a few of his features in the dark, the proud prow of his of his nose and the stubborn line of his jaw. The slope of his shoulder is sticking out and she pulls the woolen blanket a little higher, tucking it over him to keep him warm.

For a second she contemplates waking him up for round four, letting her fingers steal down the space between them and stroking him into readiness. Unfortunately dawn is coming soon, the luminescent hands on her watch say that it's quarter past six and they'll need to get moving again. Besides, her bladder is really full and it's time to get up. Beckett gives up on the idea of a morning romp with a sigh. Soon, she promises herself. When this is all behind them then she'll tie him to her bed and spend all morning ravishing him. Somehow she doesn't think that he'll complain too much about it, Kate smirks at the thought.

With reluctance Beckett eyes the dim corner where her clothes are draped over the back of a folding chair.

_Ugh_.

They're probably still damp from yesterday, it wasn't warm overnight and there's not enough circulating air to have dried them out very much. She's not looking forward to putting them back on again. With a sigh she lifts his arm and tries to ease out from under it without waking him.

"No stay Beckett," he mumbles. "It's still dark."

"I need to pee and it will be light soon Castle. We'll need to get going again." She tempers her rejection by leaning in to give him a soft kiss.

"Spoilsport." The writer isn't satisfied with that chaste offering and his arm tightens as he pulls her closer and attempts to deepen the kiss, his hands starting to wander over her body.

"Cool it stud," she huffs a laugh, her hand is pressed to his chest to stop him. "And calling me names isn't likely to make me change my mind. You'll get your chance to do this all again later." Beckett rolls out of the blanket and hurries to her waiting clothes before he has another chance to test her willpower.

"At least you called me stud," he says with an exaggerated pout as he watches her dress. "And I'm going to hold you to that promise. I've got plans for you Kate Beckett; I hope you can keep up," he warns her.

It's too dark to see anything more than her shadowy form; he promises himself that the next time he's going to make sure that they make love in the afternoon sun. He wants to see all the little features that the dark has robbed him of, he wants to see her face when she comes. Will her eyes be open and dilated or does she squeeze them shut as if the pleasure is too hard to contain otherwise? Once they're safe then he's going to make it his mission to find out all those facts about her, things that only an intimate lover would know. Yes, he's got serious plans for her.

She hurries through the process of dressing. Her clothes are unpleasantly damp and cold, as expected, but that doesn't cause her to hesitate. The sooner she puts them on, the faster they will warm up with her body heat.

"You're forgetting that I'm a trained security consultant Castle, you'll be the one who ends up crying uncle," she reminds him as she shrugs into her jacket.

"I haven't forgotten that you're a bodyguard, after all it was my body that you were guarding last night," he says with blatant emphasis and she has to laugh. "The fact that you can double tap a target from a hundred yards and do a one-arm shoulder throw is a real turn-on; it makes me feel like I'm Sean Connery in the middle of 007 movie."

"Maybe I'll play Honey Ryder for you sometime then; I'm sure that I've got a white bikini in my wardrobe somewhere," she banters back. "Although I'm not sure that you'd survive that."

"Wow. Beautiful, smart, capable and you even know your James Bond trivia," he says admiringly. "It's amazing how different you are to any woman I've met before. I knew that you'd be worth all the effort, despite the obstacles you kept throwing up, even from day one. I'm never bored around you."

Her heart stutters and her smile freezes but he doesn't seem to notice as she quickly turns, pretending to do up her shoelaces.

_What did he mean by that? He's been pursuing her because she was a challenge? So what happens now that he's finally caught her?_

She needed to stop over-analyzing it, he probably just meant that he found her interesting, it was meant to be a compliment for goodness sake. And now was not the time to start obsessing over their … _relationship?_ She needed to keep her focus on the task at hand.

"I'll be back shortly," she tells him. "You need to get up and see to your own ablutions. Once it's light enough then we can start searching for a track out of here. Someone has put this hunting shelter here so it's a safe bet that they keep coming back here periodically. That means there should be a track or markers that the hunters follow to guide them to the same place each time. Once we find it then we'll be one step closer to safety."

He's still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when she slips out the door into the early morning rain. The ground is wet underfoot, the detritus of fallen leaves and dirt caking her shoes within minutes as Beckett walks a distance from the shelter to do her business. Kate picks a spot about fifty yards away but still within sight of the shelter, walking slowly with only the hazy dawn light to illuminate the various natural hazards in her path.

It's at times like this that she wishes she was a man, they can just whip it out and take a leak anywhere. The ability to pee standing up was probably coded on the Y chromosome right next to the ability to separate sex from emotional relationships. No doubt he's probably getting dressed right now, blissfully unconcerned about what last night meant for their relationship while she, on the other hand, is rapidly developing an ulcer. The bodyguard is still dwelling on the gender inequality as she stands up again and re-zips her jeans. That's when she notices the pale beam of a torchlight weaving through the forest cover.

Her mouth is halfway open, ready to shout for help, when caution kicks in and she stays silent. It could be potential rescuers or it could be their chasers, it's best to find out exactly who it is before she gives away her position. Her hand slips into her jacket pocket and encounters nothing.

_Crap._

She had put the gun on the chair inside the duck blind, safely out-of-the-way, last night. Beckett curses her inattention this morning, she'd been so busy obsessing over what Castle meant by those comments that she'd forgotten to put it back into her jacket again.

The light is coming closer now and unfortunately it's path bisects neatly between her and Castle. There's no way that she can get back to him before that person or persons unknown reaches the shelter. Her best hope is to flank around to their left and come up from behind them if she can. With any luck she'll be able to identify them before they spot her or Castle.

The sound of leaves crunching underfoot sounds horrendously loud to her ears as she tries to silently creep closer. Beckett hunches down low, making her profile as small as possible to avoid detection. It makes it harder to walk this way but caution is more important than speed at the moment.

She can now make out a single figure, male judging from the height and build. The man seems oblivious to her presence as he concentrates on the path illuminated by the torch. The amount of noise that he's making covers her own quieter advancing. She's got a slim advantage here because her eyes have adjusted to the dimness while he's handicapped because he's relying on the torch.

Her heart falls as she finally gets close enough to identify him as one of the captors; he's less than five yards away. The only saving grace is that he appears to be on his own. Beckett is still trying to figure out a plan of attack when the door of the shelter swings open and the writer steps out.

It all seems to happen in split second and yet it takes an eternity. It's one of those points in your life where time stretches out like a slow-motion film. The gunman's hand is swinging up as he takes aim. In another second the hammer will hit the end of the copper alloy jacketed bullet, and send it spirally down the barrel of the gun. If the aim is true, then half a second after that it will hit Castle and kill him. Kate reacts before her brain can even process all of that, instinct driving her actions.

"Castle duck!" she screams, diverting the gunman's attention towards her even as she lunges at him. Her eyes are fixed on the gun, hoping to knock it out of his hand, so she can see it perfectly as it swings towards her. The flash around the muzzle registers an instant before the she feels the impact of projectile hitting her and then the world explodes into an inferno of pain.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Kate!"

Rick watches with horror as she flings herself at the gunman. Her body jerks as the bullet hits but she still crashes into the man, sending them both tumbling down in a tangle of limbs. The shooter heaves her off him with a grunt that leaves her sprawled on her back. He's still scrambling to regain his weapon and he never sees the right hook that flies at his face. Castle follows it up with a left punch that knocks him out cold but that doesn't stop the writer from continuing to pummel him.

Fear and anger has shot adrenaline through his system, leaving a bloody haze. The fact that the other man is unconscious doesn't register in Rick's mind; he's so far gone that his only thought is to keep hitting. The barrage of blows leave his knuckles split and bleeding but Castle is barely aware of the pain. He only stops when he's out of breath, unable to raise his arm for another punch.

"Castle." She's been calling his name for the last minute but he hasn't heard her over the blood rushing in his ears.

"Kate." Rick clambers off the unconscious man, ashamed that he'd ignored her because of the frenzy that had gripped him. "Oh god …"

Her left shoulder is a mess, red spots of blood painting her clothes like a Pollock abstract painting.

"I look that bad huh? Maybe I should have put on a bit of lipstick this morning," she says with gallows humor.

"Once we get you to the hospital the doctors will be able help and then you'll be as good as new." But how he's going to get her there is a mystery. He can tell that she's too badly injured to contemplate walking any further, they're in the middle of a forest and he has no idea where to turn for help. His optimism is forced and she can tell from the pinched, worried look on his face that it's not good.

"Help me up," Beckett says as she pushes herself up with her good arm. She knew it was a mistake as soon as she tried it; the shocking pain in her shoulder has her crying aloud with pain.

"Don't move; let me carry you back to the shelter. At least that will get you out of the rain." He's worried about her going into shock; on top of the trauma and blood loss, this cold, miserable rain isn't helping.

"No," she pants as she fights back the pain-induced nausea. "Take his gun first Castle; see if you can tie him up at all. I don't want him to cause any more problems for us once he wakes up." Her arm might be messed up but her mind is still working as she offers suggestions.

"Ok." The writer picks the abandoned gun up, placing it in the small of his back and then rifles through the shooter's pockets. He tosses aside a wallet and keys before he comes across a phone and a plasticuff.

"I've found his phone." Castle slips it into his pocket and then drags the man over to the trunk of a nearby large tree, looping his arms above his head and around the tree before securing them with the piece of plastic. "Now let's get you back under cover."

He slips his arms under her, one at her knees and the other under her shoulders. Even with his utmost care it still jars her shoulder when he lifts her up. Beckett has to bury her head in his neck, gritting her teeth to stop the cry of pain that threatens. It's a relief when he finally lays her down inside the building again, covering her with the blanket from last night.

Rick pulls out the phone, his fingers feels like swollen sausages as he punches in the numbers. "Hang on Beckett. I'm going to get you out of here. The ambulance will be on its way soon." He's not sure if he's saying it to convince himself or her. Castle kneels down next to her; he squeezes her good hand as he waits for the dial tone to connect.

"Nine one one. What is your emergency?"

"We were kidnapped and then they shot her. You need to send an ambulance now." His sentences come out in a jumble.

"Sir, you need to slow down. Tell me what your name is?"

"Rick, Rick Castle."

"Ok Rick, you said that someone has been shot?"

"Yes, my friend Kate has been shot."

"Is the shooter still there? Are you still in danger?"

"Yes he's still here but he's unconscious. I managed to knock him out."

"Good. Now, can you tell me where you are?"

"We're in some sort of forest … I don't know."

"Are there any signs or roads or buildings nearby? Is there any clue as to where you are?"

Castle looks around at the trees that enclose them; apart from the squat shelter where they spent the night there is no sign that man has ever encroached into this wilderness.

"There's a duck blind and it's close to a stream but I can't see anything else."

"Ok Rick. Stay on the line; we're trying to find out which cell tower your signal is coming in from. It may take a few minutes. In the meantime can you tell me what injuries your friend has sustained? Is she conscious and breathing?

"Kate's awake. She's been shot twice, once in the arm and once in the shoulder. The one in the shoulder is bad."

"Is it still bleeding? If it is then you need to get some pressure on it to slow down the blood loss."

Rick gingerly lifts Beckett's jacket up to look at the underlying damage. Despite his attempt at being gentle she still moans with pain at the movement. His face goes ashen at the sound and the knowledge of the suffering she's enduring. The only saving grace is that the wound appears to be oozing slowly, there's no pumping arterial bleeding.

He has to put the phone down and let go of her hand for a minute in order to take his shirt off. He folds it into a square pad and uses it as a dressing, it's not exactly sterile but it's the cleanest thing that he's got.

"Rick, are you still there?" The voice of the emergency operator comes through faintly from the phone on the ground.

Castle picks up the cell-phone. "Yeah, I'm still here."

"Search and rescue teams have been dispatched but we've only been able to narrow down the area to about six square miles of dense forest. It may take them a few hours to find you. You guys are going to have to wait there, don't move, that would just make the search more difficult. I'm going to hang up now so that we can save the battery on your phone but I'll call back in twenty minutes with an update."

The writer looks down at the wounded bodyguard. Her color looks bad and she's starting to shiver. He's not sure that Beckett can survive for that long. He brushes back the wet tendrils of hair that are plastered to her face with gentle fingers.

"The operator says that the EMTs are on their way Kate. You just have to hang in there." He omits to say that their rescuers could still be hours away, it's better for her to focus on just the positive news.

"That's g-g-good." Her teeth are chattering so badly that it's hard to talk.

"Here, let me warm you up." He carefully positions himself next to her, avoiding her injured arm as he gets under the blanket and then pulls his jacket over the both of them.

"You're so nice and warm," she leans back further into his heat, he feels like a furnace compared to her freezing limbs. There's a silent pause and then she speaks again. "If I don't make it out of …"

"Don't say it," he growls. "I won't listen."

"Castle, I heard the operator. Those search and rescue teams have are going to have to comb six square miles to find us. You don't need to hide it from me; I know that it's bad."

"They're going to find us Beckett, you'll see."

"I'm sure they will but I don't know if I can last that long, so I want you to do something for me."

"You are going to be fine Kate, enough of this fatalism," he tries to be stern but the tears are making his voice break.

"Just promise me Rick."

"Anything," he promises her.

"Tell Alexis that I love her and that I'm sorry."

"She knows that you love her already and you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I promised her that I would be careful, that I wouldn't be gone for very long. We'd just lost you and she was out of her mind with fear when I told her I had to leave the loft."

"It wasn't your fault that you broke that promise, she'll understand."

"She's only a five-year old kid; all she knows is that I broke my promise. Can you explain it to her and make sure that she doesn't hate me too badly?"

"I'll tell her that you're a hero, I'll tell that you saved my life. Oh god, you took a bullet for me." He squeezes her good hand as he makes that promise.

"Could you give my Dad a message as well? Tell him not to give up. I'm the only thing that he still has and this could sink him. I don't know if he's going to be strong enough to carry on."

"I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thanks Rick." Her voice seems fainter. "I'm glad that we had last night, even if it was on a wooden floor under a scratchy woolen blanket."

"So am I," he whispers into her hair. "Just being with you made it better than in the finest five-star hotel. I don't care about anything else as long I'm there with you."

She doesn't reply.

"Kate?" he says in a panicked voice. He can feel the movement of her chest with her shallow breathing and there's faint pulse when he puts his fingers over her carotid, thready and irregular but it's still beating. She's still alive but she's slipped into a coma.

"Kate, please. Stay with me Kate. Don't leave me please. Stay with me ok? Kate I love you. I love you Kate." His devotions are too late though, he can tell that her mind has retreated into the darkness where his words can't follow. Why did he wait until now to say those words? Why couldn't he have been brave sooner?

He wants to scream and curse, to punch and kick at the cruel fates that have lead them to this point. He's literally helpless to aid her as her body closes down.

No.

He won't accept this, no.

The writer untangles his body from hers and eases away. He doesn't want to leave her but maybe there is something that he can do.

A cloud of anger and determination darkens his face as he steps out into the quiet forest. His steps are deliberate as he walks over to the bound man and casually slaps him across the face to wake him.

"What the fuck?" the man mumbles, his words indistinct because his nose is swollen and his mouth is all cut up from the beating that the writer administered.

Castle grabs him by the shirt and shakes him furiously. "Tell me where we are," he demands.

"Fuck you," the gunman says with bravado.

Castle doesn't hesitate to shoot him, aiming for his leg.

"Shiiiiit!" the man screams in shock from the pain.

"The woman that you shot is dying; if she doesn't make it then you won't either. You're going to tell me exactly where we are and shortest route to outside help or else I'm going to shoot you again. It'll be your other kneecap next time and I'll keep going until you tell me exactly what I want to hear." The cold, implacable tone must have conveyed his deadly seriousness because the man gives up with a whimper.

"I'll tell you, just don't shoot."

* * *

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

The steady blips from the monitor are the first thing that she hears. Her throat feels as dry as the desert; her tongue is stuck to the roof of her mouth like she's hung-over from an all-night drinking session. The light in the room is too bright and everything is blurry as she opens her eyes. Instinctively she tries to shield them with her hand but both arms are immobilized.

Her left shoulder is all bandaged up and the throbbing ache in it reminds her that she was shot. As soon as the pleasantly numbing daze of narcotics wears off she's going to be in serious pain. The morphine is clouding her thoughts and it takes her a few seconds to work out why her right arm isn't moving either. Someone is holding onto her hand, the soft snore originating from that direction indicates that the holder is sleeping.

She turns her head to look down at the slouched figure reclining on a chair, asleep but his arm stretched out to hold onto hers.

"Castle?"

**A/N: Please don't hate me too much? At least this chapter didn't end on a cliffhanger.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Hey you're awake." Castle smiles encouragingly at her.

"Water?" she rasps. "I'm so dry."

He gets up and pours some into a Styrofoam cup, lifting it carefully towards her so that she can sip from the straw. "Don't go too quickly. The doctor said that you could have something to drink but not too much or else you might feel nauseated," he warns her. Castle slips his arm around her shoulders to help her lean forward.

The fluid might be lukewarm but it still feels heavenly as it slips down her parched throat. After a few sips she lets her head flop back onto the pillow, even that small effort has exhausted her.

Rick wriggles his arm free from under her and then sits down on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot, I wouldn't recommend it" she says with dry humor. "What happened? How did we make it out of there?"

"You went into shock but the search and rescue team found us in time." The writer grips her hand, his thumb drawing gentle circles in her palm. "We were lucky, I almost lost you there. The cops have taken all of them into custody; they tracked down Megan and the first guy that you managed to shoot as well. There were only three of them involved in the plan, we're safe."

He makes no mention of the fact that he shot an unarmed man for her. It's darkness within his psyche that he's never acknowledged before but the beast lurks there, willing to do what's necessary to protect the people he loves. He had lied when questioned by the police and claimed self-defense, according to his statement he'd shot the other man in the middle of their struggle for control of the gun.

It was his word against the shooter and the detective in charge hasn't hassled him any further about it. It was a plausible story and there'd been no physical evidence to contradict him. The word of a kidnap victim versus that of the known freelance mob associate, the law was always going to side with Castle. He should feel guilty but the reality is that he would do it all again in a heartbeat. If it was the difference between Kate being alive or dead then he'd gladly sully his soul for her.

Castle stares at her intently, trying to glean how much she remembers. The words are burning his throat, boiling up from his heart and demanding to be spoken but he hesitates. It's one thing to say it when he was scared that she wasn't going to survive but now that they've made to the other side of the ordeal he's not sure if she's ready to hear it.

"Kate, I …."

The door swings open and the moment is lost.

"Katie." Jim Beckett looks tired, the stress of the last couple of days are written in black circles under his eyes. But the smile on his face is genuine and more importantly he's stone-cold sober.

"Dad," Beckett smiles back at her father as Rick moves back so that Jim can take his place at the bedside.

The older man leans in to place a kiss on her forehead, just like he did when she was a young girl. His eyes are bright with joyful tears. He'd made a deal with God or fate or the universe, if he got his Katie back then he'd never touch another drop of alcohol again. It's a deal that he intends to keep.

"Thank you Rick," Jim offers his hand to the younger man. "Thank you for getting her out alive."

Castle looks on at the father-daughter reunion with fondness, and shakes the proffered hand. "It was a team effort. Kate did most of it; she even took a bullet for me. Your daughter is like superwoman." The admiration in his eyes is evident. "I'll never forget that. Whatever you need while you're recovering, it's yours."

Jim is still chatting to the writer when a white-coated woman enters the room

"Hello Ms. Beckett, it's good to see you're awake. My name is Dr Sanchez. Would you gentlemen mind leaving for a few minutes? I need to examine her; you can come back in about fifteen minutes."

Jim gives his daughter a quick kiss before he leaves. "I have to go sweetheart, I'm meeting with my AA sponsor but I'll be back later this afternoon."

"Bye Dad."

"I'm off to find some decent coffee," Castle tells her. "Do you want some? That's if you're allowed to drink coffee of course." He darts a quick look at the doctor.

"She should be able to manage a small cup of coffee," Dr Sanchez nods her approval.

"Skim latte …"

"With sugar-free vanilla," he completes her order. "I know."

The doctor waits patiently until the men have left before she moves to examine her injured left arm. Beckett's surprise though when the doctor doesn't bother to undo the dressings that cover the shoulder but instead concentrates on the hand instead.

"Ms. Beckett, can you please squeeze my fingers?" she puts two of her fingers in the bodyguard's palm.

Beckett finds it an odd request but she does as she's told or at least she attempts to. With a dawning dread the brunette starts at her fingers as they refuse to move despite the commands being sent from her brain.

"What's wrong? Why can't I move my fingers?" It was her shoulder that was shot; her hand wasn't injured so why aren't her fingers moving?

The doctor doesn't answer immediately and instead moves on to concentrate on the elbow. "Can you bend your elbow? Try and pull your hand up."

It's as if there's a disconnect between the muscle of her arm and her brain because the limb sits there as useless as a stick. Fear streaks through Kate; it's obvious that her shoulder injury is much more complex than just a gunshot.

Dr Sanchez makes a brief note in the hospital chart before she looks at Beckett with sympathetic eyes. "It was an expanding bullet that we removed from your shoulder; the metal mushroomed after impact and caused considerable damage to the underlying soft tissue including the brachial plexus. We've repaired as many of the nerves as we could but it's too early at this stage to say how much function you'll regain in your left arm."

"Are you saying that I could be permanently disabled? That my arm might be useless?" Beckett asks the question bluntly.

"Yes it's a possibility. We're going to do an MRI today and EMG testing in about five days. That should give us some more information about the extent of your injury. We're hoping that physical therapy will help recover some of that damage."

"Thank you Dr Sanchez," Beckett swallows, fighting back the sob that threatens. "Would you mind giving me some privacy?"

"Certainly. I'll be back again tomorrow."

Beckett closes her eyes as she tries to deal with the enormity of the situation. Her life could be permanently altered by this. Kate has always been a physical, active person. Losing the use of an arm is like knocking out one of the foundations of her house. There's no way that she could continue as a bodyguard with one arm. She'd be severely disadvantaged in unarmed combat and even firing a gun is more difficult without the second hand to provide a stable platform.

She's still ruminating when Castle walks through the door carrying two coffee cups.

"So, what did the doctor say?" he asks as he places her cup on the tray next to her bed.

For a minute she's silent as she contemplates lying to him. It's not in her nature to be reliant on someone else; every time the world knocks her down she's retreated into herself, nursing her hurts in a solitary manner. This thing with Rick is too new and fragile for her to be confident about how he'll cope. It's too much to expect him to stick by her through it all, they'd barely even started a relationship and now she's dumping all this on him. She doesn't want to presume, to take advantage of his generous spirit. No doubt he's going to feel some misplaced guilt because of his role in this; that alone would spur him into trying to help.

She knows that he meant it when he said that he would help her while she was recovering but he made that promise before he was truly aware of what it might entail. Years of therapy for possibly little gain. He'd called her superwoman before, how is he going to feel when he realized that he's traded superwoman for an invalid? Would the admiration in his eyes slowly fade to be replaced by pity?

Kate Beckett is not a woman who wants to be pitied. She'd rather cut herself off from the entire world than be submitted to the whispers and sympathetic stares of those around her.

"She said that there was some nerve damage." Beckett decides to go with the truth, he would have found out eventually anyway. It's not like she could have hidden it for long. "I can't move my left arm at all and it could be permanently." Her voice is dull and staid as if she was reading out the phone book instead of announcing something that has knocked her on ass.

"Oh god Kate. Is she sure? Maybe we should get a second opinion? I've got a friend who's a doctor; I could ask him for the name of the top neurologist in the city. They're coming up with new therapies all the time. I read about the use of stem cells for people with spinal injuries in Mexico, I'm sure that it could work with your arm as well. After all they're all nerves." He's babbling and he knows it but it's how he copes with bad news.

"I'm tired now Castle," she doesn't feel up to listening to his wild hopes and almost-zealous optimism. "Can you please go?"

"But Kate .."

She closes her eyes and turns her head, effectively shutting him out.

"Ok but I'll be back later," he promises her but she doesn't respond.

* * *

Castle stood just outside her room; he could see her through the small pane of glass. Beckett didn't seem to be aware of his presence; she was staring so hard at her useless left arm. Knowing her well, he imagines that she's trying to force some movement in the limb through sheer force of will.

Why was she trying to shut him out like this? He can't understand why she was being so obstinate. All he wanted to do was help.

He could understand wanting to be independent. Jeez, he'd seen that trait in her often enough but this went beyond the desire to be her own woman. This was stupidity, cut-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face stubbornness.

Was she testing him? Seeing if he'd break at the first hurdle in their way?

Run or stay and fight, those are his choices. If this was how she reacted - how she would always react - to the challenges that face them then he had to wonder if it would be worth it.

* * *

She knows that she's being stared at even though her eyes are still shut, she'd like to pretend that she's still asleep but she knows that he just won't leave.

"You know that it's creepy when you do that, don't you?" Kate says as she wakes up and looks into Castle-blue eyes. She's surprised though when she realizes that it's little Castle rather than big Castle who is studying her so intently. No matter how sorry she feels for herself there's no way that Beckett would take it out on the girl.

"Sorry," Alexis drops her gaze back to the book that rests in her lap, she looks so small as she sits swamped by the hospital chair, her feet dangling above the floor.

"No, that's ok honey. I thought it was your dad who was staring. When you do it it's sweet," Kate assures her.

"Daddy's getting some snacks at the vending machine," Alexis plays with the crayons by her side but doesn't really make much of an effort to color in her book, it's a delaying tactic to avoid meeting Kate's eyes.

The bodyguard can sense some kind of internal conflict in the girl's body language and she thinks that she has a fair idea about what it concerns.

"Alexis, I'm really happy to see you here."

The redhead only mumbles some noncommittal reply.

"What's wrong Alexis? You can tell me," Beckett coaxes her.

The head stays firmly down, refusing to look up at the woman as the girl stays mute.

"Ok, how about I talk then?" Kate keeps her voice gentle and low. "I bet it must have been really scary for you when people that you love keep disappearing. Were you scared Alexis?"

She gets small nod in reply.

"So you were scared and maybe a little bit angry as well?" Kate hazards a guess.

Alexis' head pops up and she looks at the woman with startled eyes, as if amazed by her mind-reading abilities.

"It's ok to be angry, I understand," the bodyguard assures the child.

"But Daddy said that I shouldn't be angry at you. He said that you were a hero and saved his life, so I shouldn't be upset." Conflicted blue eyes waver as the girl works through the issues in her head.

"I'd be a bit angry as well if I was in your situation," Kate confesses.

"Really?" Alexis doesn't seem to fully believe her.

"Did I ever tell you that my mom died a few years ago?"

The girl nods although she's not sure where Kate is going with this.

"Well, I was sad when my mom died but I was also angry. My mom didn't chose to leave me but that didn't stop me from feeling mad at her because my life felt like it was falling apart and I didn't know who else to blame. It didn't mean that I didn't love her. Sometimes when we're scared we blame the people who seem to be responsible."

"I was angry at you," Alexis admits it in a small voice, "I know I shouldn't have, but I was."

"I don't mind that, we can't help it when we get angry, just as long as you still love me. You do, don't you?"

"I do love you and I am happy that you and Daddy came back."

"Come here Alexis." Beckett pats the bed on her uninjured side.

As quick as a rabbit the girl climbs up on the bed and burrows into the woman's hug. "Thank you Kate, thank you for saving Daddy."

"You're welcome honey."

After a silent pause Alexis spoke up again. "Kate, I don't want you to ever leave again. Can you please come home with us?"

"Umm." The woman is flummoxed; she has no idea how to respond to that request. Beckett has this vague idea of running away to her father's cabin and licking her wounds in private. Moving back into the Castle loft and being a burden on them is not what she wants to do. "Even if I'm not living at the loft doesn't mean that I'm deserting you."

"But we want you there," the girl protests.

"Alexis, I know _you_ do but maybe this is conversation that I need to have with your father first."

"Why? Daddy will say yes, I'm sure of it. You can have your old room again."

"Thank you for the offer but things are different now," Kate picks her words with care.

"How?"

"Well, when I was living with you before because it was my job to. Your father hired me to help protect you from those bad people. Now that the cops have arrested them my job is over."

The child mulls that over for a second. "How about if we give you a new job then?"

"But you don't need me to protect you any more. I'm not sure that your father will want to pay for a bodyguard when there's clearly no danger."

"I'll pay you then. I can give you my pocket money, it's five bucks a week."

Kate has to smother the smile that threatens because she can see that the child is serious. "That's very generous Alexis but I can't take your money."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, I'm injured. I don't know if I'll ever be a bodyguard again." She doesn't go into a full explanation of her injuries.

"But you can do other things. I know, you could be my mommy," Alexis nods enthusiastically as she outlines her plan. "You and Daddy could get married and then you could live with us forever. Please marry us Kate, please."

Beckett almost chokes as listens to the girl. Marry Rick and become Alexis' mother? If she hadn't been hurt, if she could have come into the marriage as an equal partner and not a liability then she would have jumped at the chance. But the situation is so different now.

"Alexis Castle, did you just propose to Kate without my knowledge?"

Both females are startled by his voice. Castle leans back against the door, his arms casually crossed over his chest. He's been standing outside and listening to the conversation for the last few minutes.

"It's a good idea," Alexis explains very earnestly.

"Rick, she didn't mean anything by it." Kate is mortified that he's walked in on this. She doesn't want him to think that she's put Alexis up to this, that she's using his daughter to push him into making a commitment, that's the last thing that she wants to do.

"She didn't?" he pretends to be surprised. "Alexis, do you want Kate to marry me?"

"Yes." That confirmation is accompanied by an emphatic nod.

"That sounds pretty definite to me." Rick smiles at Alexis as if the two of them are ganging up on Beckett. "So what's your answer?"

"My answer?" Beckett can't believe the madness, maybe she's hallucinating from too much morphine.

"Well Alexis just proposed to you, don't you think that she deserves an answer?"

"Stop joking guys. Five year-old girls can't propose marriage."

"Yes I can." Alexis says it indignantly.

The brunette looked from one set of blue eyes to the other. "It's not a real proposal without a ring." It was like trying to reason with a couple of lunatics.

Castle steps closer and slipped his hand into his pocket to pull out a small red box. He flicks the top open to reveal a princess-cut diamond solitaire with a platinum band. "Is this real enough for you?"

Beckett flushes bright red as she realizes that this is it, Castle is really proposing. "Rick, I can't. You don't have to do this." She is trying to be the responsible one, the adult who calls a halt to the madness.

"I know that I don't have to do this, I _want _to do this."

"What about my arm? I'm not going to be the same person that I was before."

"Do you still see that shallow playboy when you look at me?" he questions her.

She shakes her head silently. No, he's moved so far beyond her first impressions it's as if he were a completely different person.

"I don't know how much you remember after you were shot so I'm going to repeat it again. I love you. And you'll always be the woman that I love regardless of whether you've got one or two good arms. So enough stalling. Will you marry me? What does your heart say Kate?"

She bit her bottom lip as she tried to hold back the tears. "Yes … it says yes."

"Yes!" Alexis screams and does a little fist pump.

"Oh thank god." Rick's held breath comes out in a puff; he'd been scared that she was going to say no. He plucks the engagement ring from its box and hands it to Alexis. "Do you want to do the honors Pumpkin? After all, it was a joint effort."

He has to lift Kate's arm up so that Alexis can slide the cool band on her finger. Beckett can't physically feel the weight of the ring but in her heart if feels right.

The three of them stop to admire the glint of the precious crystal; it's so beautiful as it rests on that slim finger.

"Do you like it Kate?" he asks her.

"It's perfect Rick."

"What do you think Alexis?" the writer questions his daughter.

"I think you that you should make kissy-face already."

"I think you're right Pumpkin." And then he proceeds to do just that.

**A/N: a big thank you to everyone who read and stuck with the story despite my chronic inability to post prompt updates. Lots of love to you all for the support.**


	21. Chapter 21

Epilogue

The kick gets Kate under the rib cage and her hand flicks out to grab the leg before it can do any further damage.

"So you think you're tough huh? Try that again and I'll show you who's tough," she warns him.

The growled threat is only met with by a gurgling laugh as the cherubic face blinks innocently. Of course at six months of age he can be forgiven for not understanding anything that his mother says. The only thing that Harrison James Castle – or Harry to his family – knows is that his mother is grinning as she wrestles his flailing limbs into his footed onesies pajamas. He's lying on his back on the changing table, doing his best to impede her efforts.

The actual words maybe a string of nonsensical sounds but the infant knows that the voice means food, warm hugs and a safe haven when anything frightens him. At six months he knows who mommy is.

Kate loves this part of the evening after his bath-time. Harry is fed, clean and content. She buries her nose in his tummy, inhaling the smell of baby soap, talcum powder and the moisturizer that she's just rubbed into his skin.

"Hmmm, you smell so good that mommy could gobble you up right now. Yum, yum, yum." She pretends to take bites out of him before she blows a big raspberry into his stomach which sends him off into another giggling fit. Harry slaps his hands against the top of her head as he tries to wriggle away from her tickling but Beckett has got a firm hold on his hips and keeps blowing until they're both out of breath.

"That looks like child abuse to me, I'm going to call child protection services." The rumble of Castle's voice pulls the attention of both mother and son to the man who is leaning against the door frame. His blue eyes twinkle with love as he watches his family.

Kate turns back to the baby and informs him solemnly, "Daddy's just jealous, he wants to have his tummy tickled as well."

Harry blows a spit bubble back at her which she takes as a sign of his agreement.

"See that Castle? Even your son knows that you're all bluster," Kate crows triumphantly.

He walks up to her and engulfs her in a hug from behind. "All bluster huh? I'm going to make you eat those words later on in bed tonight," he whispers in her ear.

Kate pushes back into him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. "Shhh, not in front of the baby," she scolds him but the effect is ruined by the fact that she turns her head to nip his ear. "I'm looking forward to it." The heat in her eyes promises that Castle will get his own belly rub later.

As much as he'd love to take her up on that now, there are children that need to be seen to first.

"Alexis sent to me to get you guys," he explains. "Apparently you were taking too long, it's seven o'clock and that means that it's story time. _I've only got fifteen minutes before bedtime_," he mimicked his daughter's piping voice. "She's really more your daughter than mine," he grumbles. "The way she follows all the rules and insists on drawing inside the lines, it's like she's a mini-Beckett."

Kate chuckles at the fake hurt in his voice. "Come on then Harry, we can't keep your big sister waiting." She hefts him up with a grunt. He's big for six-months, tracking well above the ninety-fifth percentile for his age in height, he takes after Castle in that respect. She has to juggle him slightly so that she can take most of his weight with her right arm, the left one will never be as strong as it was before her shooting.

It had taken a lot of physical therapy to regain the use of that arm and it was about eighty percent of its pre-injury state. The proximal muscles in her upper arm had been more severely affected and slower to recover than her hand and forearm. If you looked closely then you could tell that her left biceps and triceps were slightly wasted and smaller compared with the right arm. She used to be able to do fifteen chin-ups, now she'd be lucky to manage two.

But Kate had learned to compensate for the loss of strength so that it was barely noticeable most of the time. She'd had to adjust her shooting stance and learned to rely on kicks and knee jabs more in her sparring. It had also meant having to adjust her role in the company. She did security consulting now, looking at systems and identifying potential areas of weakness. She left the bodyguard work to the boys.

It had been a big adjustment at the time but she wouldn't go back now even if she had two completely normal arms. Marrying Rick, formally adopting Alexis and then having Harry meant a one hundred and eighty degree turn in her outlook. Her life wasn't about just work anymore, it was about family.

They found Alexis sitting on the floor in the family room, a selection of books spread out in front of her as she tried to make a decision. Her hand wavers as she almost picks up one book but then changes her mind at the last-minute.

"Ok Pumpkin, which story are we going to have tonight?"

"This one!" The declaration is accompanied by an emphatic head nod.

"Ohhhh, '_The Cat in the Hat_.' That's one of my favorites," Kate smiles at the girl.

"I know, that's why I picked it," Alexis beams her own smile back.

They settle onto the comfy couch with Alexis sandwiched between her parents and Harry on Kate's knee. Alexis turns the book to the first page and then Rick's low rumble takes over. No wonder he ended up being an author, there's just something in his nature that was meant to tell stories.

Alexis mouths the words at the same time as Rick says them aloud. She could've read the book by herself but it's not as much fun. Daddy is so good with all those funny voices that he does, it makes it twice as good.

Kate will pipe up from time to time, adding her own commentary to the story. Even Harry gets into the act, making a grab for the book and trying to bring it up to his mouth for a chew.

"No Harry! Books are for reading. He's such a baby," Alexis says it with all the wisdom of her seven years.

Kate has to tuck Harry's arm under hers to stop any further snatch and grab attempts. "Harry's just like his father; he always wants to be the centre of attention." Her finger taps his nose twice which makes his eyes cross as tries to focus on it and then he blinks and looks up at Kate with a bewildered expression. "Ha! He is such a Castle, he looks just like you Rick."

Alexis nods in agreement and even Rick has to concur. It's true he does look at his wife like that sometimes, a mixture of bewildered adoration as if he still can't believe his luck.

"Well I'm glad to hear it. After all that I did to win you, he'd better be mine. Most men wouldn't have been able to put up with all that you put me through Kate." His eyes are dancing with amusement as he teases his wife.

"Win me?" her eyebrow goes up in challenging look at his choice of words, describing her like a prize. She knows that it's deliberate; Castle is clever and precise with his statements. He's just trying to get a rise out of her and she seems to go for the bait every time. At first it used to annoy her but now she can admit that she actually enjoys it. This banter that they have is just part of the dance their chemistry.

"Sorry, I meant win you over." The smile on his face says that he's not sorry at all.

Kate plays her part, she huffs as if only partially mollified by his apology. Later when they're alone, she'll make him pay for that later. Castle smirks because he knows that the heat in her eyes isn't anger.

"Back to the story Daddy," Alexis pulls their attention back from the bedroom.

"Sorry Alexis. Now, where was I?" Rick looks down at the book again as he goes back to the land of Dr Seuss. He's content to put his lust on hold for now. They've got plenty of time, they've got the rest of their lives.

**A/N: This little chapter is for all those people who reviewed and told me that they wanted to know what happened next. Sorry there won't be a separate sequel but I hope that this makes you happy.**


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